Abstract
Six diarylheptanoids (1—6) from the stem bark of Alnus hirsuta were investigated for their inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NF-kB activation and NO and TNF-α production. Among them, compounds 2, 3, and 6 displayed inhibitory activity against NF-kB activation and NO and TNF-α production with IC50 values of 9.2—9.9 μM, 18.2—19.3 μM, and 22.3—23.7 μM, respectively, in RAW264.7 cells. Three active compounds had no significant cytotoxicity in RAW264.7 cells at their effective concentrations. This is the first report of NF-kB-inhibitory activity of these compounds and supports the pharmacological use of A. hirsuta, which has been employed as a herbal medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
