Sesquiterpenes from Wikstroemia lungtzeensis with anti-neuroinflammatory effects

An anti-neuroinflammatory activities-guided phytochemical research of Wikstroemia lungtzeensis was performed for the first time. Three undescribed carotane-type sesquiterpenes, excoecafolinols C-E (1–3), and nine known sesquiterpene derivatives were isolated from the effective ethyl acetate extract of W. lungtzeensis. Their structures were determined based on multiple spectroscopic techniques and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Furthermore, the anti-neuroinflammatory activities of the identified compounds were evaluated in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV-2 cells. Among them, six components (1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 12) exhibited significant inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production, with IC50 values ranging from 10.48 to 49.41 μM (positive control minocycline, IC50 53.20 μM). Carotane-type sesquiterpenes (1, 2, 4) with high content and significant inhibitory effects, are considered to be major active ingredients of W. lungtzeensis, which might serve as potential therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases.