Antiinflammatory effect of Forsythia suspensa VAHL and its active principle

This study was carried out to elucidate the antiinflammatory active princip les obtained from 70% methanol extract of the dried fruit of Forsythia susp ensa VAHL (F. suspensa). The methanol extract was then partitioned between n-hexane and water and then the n-hexane fraction was evaporated to dryness under vacuum. The n-hexane fraction was chromatographed (Frs, I-V), Fr. IV was rechromatographed (Frs. VI-VIII), and then Fr. VII was rechromatograph ed (Frs. IX-XI) by silica gel column chromatography, The antiinflammatory a ctivity of these fractions was investigated on acetic acid-induced vascular permeability in rats. The n-hexane fraction showed an antiinflammatory eff ect and these activities shifted successively to Fr. IV, Fr. VII and Fr. X, The chemical structure of the active principle obtained from Fr. X was ide ntified as 3 beta-acetoxy-20,25-epoxydammarane-24-ol. These results suggest that the antiinflammatory and an analgesic effect of 70% methanol extract of F. suspensn may be the result of the compound that it contains.