ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVE POLYACETYLENES FROM BIDENS CAMPYLOTHECA

The n-hexane extract of Bidens campylotheca Schultz Bip. ssp campyloth eca (Compositae) showed significant in vitro inhibition of cyclooxygen ase (CO) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO). Five polyacetylenes, heptadeca-2E, 8E, 10E, 16-tetraene-4,6-diyne (1), heptadeca-2E,8Z, 10E, 16-tetraene- 4,6-diyne (2), heptadeca-2E,8E,16-triene-4,6-diyne-10-ol (3), safynol (5) and, as a new compound, safynol-2-0-isobutyrate (4) could be isola ted and their structures elucidated mainly by UV, MS, NMR, and COSY-NM R. The isolated compounds exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase.