COX-2 inhibitors from the leaves of Pellacalyx saccardianus Scortech (Rhizophoraceae)

Phytochemicals and anti-inflammatory activity were investigated in the leaves of Pellacalyx saccardianus from the Rhizophoraceae family. The powdered leaves were extracted using methanol in a soxhlet extractor. Purification of the methanol extract yielded two new compounds, (3S)(6R)-3-(4′-hydroxybenzyl)-6-(6″-hydroxyphenethyl)-2,2-dimethyl-piperidin-4-one and 1,2-O-(1-methylethylidene)fucoside, together with six known compounds, β-amyrin palmitate, squalene, 24-ethylcholesta-5,22,25-trien-3β-ol, 5R-hydroxy-1,7-bis(5-hydroxyphenyl)heptan-3-one, 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)hept-4-en-3-one and methyl-l-fucoside. An anti-inflammatory assay using COX-2 revealed that β-amyrin palmitate possessed the highest inhibitory effect (96.8%) at the lowest concentration (0.01 μM), which was higher than that of the positive controls, resveratrol (90.2%, 0.01 μM) and indomethacin (79.20%, 100 μM). This is the first report on the isolation of phytochemicals from the leaves of P. saccardianus and their anti-inflammatory activity.