Anti-inflammatory Eudesmane Sesquiterpenoids from <i>Artemisia hedinii</i>

Fourteen new eudesmane sesquiterpenoids
(1, 3–5, 7–16) and seven known analogues were isolated
from the whole plant of Artemisia hedinii. Their
structures were elucidated by spectroscopic
data analysis and comparison with published NMR data, and their absolute
configurations were confirmed by X-ray diffraction experiments and
TDDFT ECD calculation. Compounds 1–15 were identified as eudesmane acids, which represent a kind of lactone
ring-opening eudesmane-type sesquiterpenes with an acetoxyl or a hydroxy
group attached to C-9. Compounds 1 and 2, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8 are three pairs of epimers isomerized at C-3, C-5, and C-11,
respectively. Compounds 1–9, 11–13, 15–19, and 21 could influence the proinflammatory phenotype
of the M1 macrophage. Among them, compounds 5, 8, 9, 12, 16, and 19 consistently exhibited anti-inflammatory effects, as evidenced
by downregulating classic pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α,
IL-12, IL-6, and IFN-γ in LPS-induced primary bone marrow derived
M1 macrophages.