Vascular endothelium plays a central role in the development of inflammatory and immune processes, which are involved in graft rejection1. Many Clusiaceae/Calophyllaceae species (pantropical plants) biosynthesize original polyphenolic compounds exhibiting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties2-3. Bark, leaves and occasionally fruits from thirteen Malaysian plants belonging to the genus Calophyllum, Mesua (Calophyllaceae), Garcinia (Clusiaceae) were extracted using DCM and MeOH as the solvents. Each extract was then submitted to a HPLC-PDA-MSn dereplication analysis and its anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated on Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs). This allowed to select the bioactive fruits DCM extract of Mesua lepidota T. Anderson for an advanced phytochemical study, which led to the identification of several new coumarin derivatives. A flow cytometry study revealed that the major component of this extract, namely lepidotol A (1), significantly inhibited the VCAM-1, HLA-II and HLA-E expression of HUVECs previously activated by TNF-α or IFN-γ cytokines.
References
1. P. T. Clesca, Int. Congr. Ser., 2002, 1237, 181-191.
2. F. V. Cechinel, C. Meyre-Silva, and R. Niero, Chem. Biodivers., 2009, 6, 313-327.
3. J. González-Gallego, M. V. García-Mediavilla, S. Sánchez-Campos and M. J. Tuñón, Br. J. Nutr., 2010, 104, S15-S2
