The methanolic extract from a Japanese herbal medicine, the bark of Magnolia obovata, was found to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
By bioassay-guided separation, three neolignans (magnolol, honokiol, obovatol) and three sesquiterpenes (alpha-eudesmol, beta-eudesmol, gamma-eudesmol) were obtained as active constituents. A trineolignan (magnolianin), a phenylpropanoid glycoside (syringin), lignan glycosides (liriodendrin, (+)-syringaresinol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside) and a sesquiterpene (caryophyllene oxide) did not show any activity. On the other hand, sesquiterpene-neolignans (eudesmagnolol, clovanemagnolol, caryolanemagnolol, eudeshonokiol A, eudesobovatol A) showed the strong cytotoxic effects.
CONCLUSIONS:
Active constituents (magnolol, honokiol, obovatol) showed weak inhibition for inducible NO synthase (iNOS) enzyme activity, but potent inhibition of iNOS induction and activation of nuclear factor-kappaB. |