THE FLAVONOID CONSTITUENTS OF 2 POLYPODIUM SPECIES (CALAGUALA) AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE ELASTASE RELEASE IN HUMAN NEUTROPHILS

Five flavonoid compounds were isolated from two Polypodium species (P. decomanum and P. triseriale) with the common name Calaguala. Structur e elucidation was carried out using different NMR techniques and revea led the presence of one new glycoside (kaempferol ta-D-xylopyranosyl-( 1-2)-beta-D-arabinopyranoside) (1), two known flavonoid glycosides, ru tin and kaempfetol 3-O-alpha-D-arabinapyranoside (2, 3), the trimeric proanthocyanidin, selligueain (4), and the coumarinic acid derivative, melilotoside (5). The compounds were tested for their activity in PAF induced exocytosis in human neutrophils but none of the compounds sho wed PAF specific activity. Instead, they showed more general effects o n the neutrophil including inhibition of the spontaneous elastase rele ase (5) and potentiation of the release induced by PAF (1). Selligueai n was found to inhibit the proteolytic enzyme, elastase in vitro.