3 NONPHENOLIC DIARYLHEPTANOIDS WITH ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY FROM CURCUMA-XANTHORRHIZA

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a hexane extract of the rhizomes of C urcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) led to the isolation of thre e non-phenolic diarylheptanoids, identified mainly by high-field H-1-N MR as trans-trans-1,7-diphenyl-1,3-heptadien-4-one (alnustone), trans- 1,7-diphenyl-1-hepten-5-ol, and trans,trans-1,7-diphenyl-1,3-heptadien -5-ol. The latter is reported for the first time as a plant constituen t. Germacrone, curzerenone, and cinnamaldehyde were also isolated and identified. The three diarylheptanoids all exerted significant anti-in flammatory activity in the assay of carrageenin-induced hind paw edema in rats.