Anti-inflammatory compounds from the rhizome of Acorus calamus var. angustatus Besser and their mechanism

Abstract

Seven compounds, named β-sitosterol (1), daucosterol (2), (+)-pinoresinol-β-D-glucoside (3), (−)-syringaresinol 4-O-β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→2)- β-D-glucopyranoside (4), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (5), 2-(3', 4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-1, 3-pepper ring-5-aldehyde (6) and spinosin (7) were isolated from the rhizome of Acorus calamus var. angustatus Besser. 3, 4, 6 and 7 were isolated from this medicinal plant for the first time. Structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and extensive spectroscopic analysis, as well as by comparison with literature data. The anti-inflammatory activity and related mechanisms of the seven compounds showed that compounds 1–7 all increased the levels of GSH-PX and SOD and decreased the levels of MDA, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. Compound 4 showed the best effect of anti-inflammatory and Beclin-1 inhibition. These results suggest that compound 4 has stronger anti-inflammatory effect and provide preliminary evidence that the mechanism of action of compound 4 in attenuating LPS-induced inflammatory damage may be related to the inhibition of Beclin-1-dependent autophagy.

Graphical abstract

Keywords:

• Acorus calamus var. angustatus besser
• inflammatory
• autophagy
• lipopolysaccharides

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was financed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant no. 31900297]; the Lingnan Normal University-level talent project [grant no. ZL1801 and QL1401]; the Yanling excellent young teacher program of Lingnan Normal University [grant no. YL20200210]; the Guangdong Provincial key discipline scientific research project [2019-GDXK-0025 and 2021ZDJS035], the Open Project of Mangrove Institute, Lingnan Normal University [grant no. YBXM01]; the Open Project of Western Guangdong Characteristic Biology, the Zhanjiang Science and Technology Project [grant no. 2022A01111], Medicine Engineering and Research Centre [grant no. 2022K03] and Guangzhou Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation [grant no. 2023A03J0744].