Constituents of compositae plants. 2. Triterpene diols, triols, and their 3-O-fatty acid esters from edible chrysanthemum flower extract and their anti-inflammatory effects

The n-hexane soluble and the nonsaponifiable lipid fractions of the edible flower extract of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) were investigate d for triterpene diol and triol constituents. These triterpenes occur as th e 3-O-fatty acid esters in the n-hexane soluble fraction from which 26 new and 6 known fatty acid esters were isolated and characterized. From the non saponifiable lipid fraction, 24 triterpene diols and triols were isolated, of which 3 were new compounds: (24S)-25-methoxycycloartane-3 beta ,24-diol (11), (24S)-25-methoxycycloartane-3 beta ,24,28-triol (22), and 22 alpha -m ethoxyfaradiol (23). Faradiol (9) and heliantriol C (19), present in the no nsaponifiable lipid fraction and as the 3-O-palmitoyl esters in the n-hexan e soluble fraction, were the most predominant triterpene diol and triol con stituents. Fourteen triterpene diols and triols and 9 fatty acid esters wer e evaluated with respect to their anti-inflammatory activity against 12-O-t etradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation in mice. All of t he triterpenes examined showed marked inhibitory activity, with a 50% inhib itory dose (ID50) of 0.03-1.0 mg/ear, which was more inhibitive than querce tin (ID50 = 1.6 mg/ear), a known inhibitor of TPA-induced inflammation in m ice.