Sesquiterpenoids and triterpenoids with anti-inflammatory effects from Artemisia vulgaris L

In this study, eight undescribed sesquiterpenoids (artemvulactone A-G and artemvulemdiol A), and two undescribed triterpenoids, (3S)-dammar-20,25-diene-3-hydroxy-24-one and (3S,23E)-dammar-20,23-diene-25-methoxy-3-ol were isolated from the leaves of Artemisia vulgaris L., together with ten known sesquiterpenoids and three known triterpenoids. The structures of these undescribed terpenoids were determined by extensive spectroscopy methods, including 1D and 2D-NMR, HRESIMS, IR, UV, X-ray diffraction, and ECD. The absolute configurations of artemvulactone A, artemvulactone D, and artemvulactone E were determined by X-ray diffraction (Cu K alpha). All isolates were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory efficacy by detecting the expression of inflammatory mediator NO in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells, and the results indicated that artemvulactone E exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effect with an IC50 value of 0.9 +/- 0.2 mu M. Furthermore, artemvulactone E could reduce LPS-induced COX-2 protein expression dose-dependently by western blotting experiments.