Anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities of secondary metabolites isolated from the leaves of Gymnosporia chevalieri.

A new triterpenoid, 3,4-seco-29-hydroxyfriedelan-3-oic acid (1), was obtained from the leafy parts of Gymnosporia chevalieri, along with eighteen previously identified compounds. These included four pentacyclic triterpenoids (2-5), two carotenoids (6 and 7), one flavanol dimer (8), nine flavonoids (9-17), one megastigmane glycoside (18), and one pentose (19). A combination of spectroscopic techniques was employed for structural identification. Thirteen isolates (2, 4, 7-12, 14, 15 and 17-19) showed inhibitory activity in the macrophage NO production model, with IC50 values in the range (13.0 and 95.2 µM). Compound 14 had the most potent effect (IC50 = 13.0 µM), which was comparable to that of dexamethasone. Compounds 1, 3 and 6 exerted pronounced anti-proliferative effects against Hep-G2, A549 and MCF-7 cell lines with IC50 values in the range (9.3 and 23.6 µM). This is the first phytochemical investigation of G. chevalieri.