Scientists have found a treasure trove of new chemicals in the Euphorbia peplus plant. These chemicals, known as ent-abietane diterpenoid lactones, were separated into a group of eleven never-seen-before ones (1-11) and nine already known ones (12-20). Figuring out their structures and which way they twist (absolute configurations) was done using a mix of high-tech tools like NMR, HRESIMS, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and ECD and DP4+ calculations. Six of these compounds (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7) had their twists unquestionably determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction with Cu Kα radiation.

These chemicals were tested to see if they could fight inflammation in macrophages (a type of immune cell). Compounds 6-9, 12-16, and 19 did a great job at reducing nitric oxide production. When these cells were exposed to a substance called lipopolysaccharide (LPS), compounds 6, 9, 11, and 16, each at a concentration of 10 μM, noticeably lowered the mRNA expression of inflammatory signals like IL-6, IL-1β, and TNFα. Compound 6 showed that the more of it there was, the less inflammation there would be (dose-dependent inhibition).

More excitingly, compound 6 also helped to slow down the activity of inflammation-causing proteins like FOXO1 and reduced the phosphorylation level of NF-κB p65. This means compound 6 might be a strong candidate for treating diseases linked to inflammation.

Discovering Inflammation-Fighting Compounds in Euphorbia peplus

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