Anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic compounds isolated from the fruits of Artocarpus heterophyllus

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam is a large evergreen tree cultivated throughout Southeast Asia for its fruits. Its leaves and roots have been used for medicinal purposes. The aim of this work was to study the in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic compounds isolated from the ethyl acetate extracts of the fruits of Artocarpus heterophyllus. Three phenolic compounds were characterized as artocarpesin [5,7,2', 4'-tetrahydroxy-6-(3-methylbut-3-enyl) flavone] (1), norartocarpetin (5,7,2',4'-tetrahydroxyflavone) (2), and oxyresveratrol [trans-2,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxystilbene] (3) by spectroscopic methods and through comparison with data reported in the literatures. The anti-inflammatory effects of the isolated compounds (1-3) were evaluated by determining their inhibitory effects on the production of proinflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. These three compounds exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity. The results indicated that artocarpesin (1) suppressed the LPS-induced production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)) through the down-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein expressions. Thus, artocarpesin (1) may provide a potential therapeutic approach for inflammation-associated disorders.