Anti-allergic Inflammatory Activities of Compounds of Amomi Fructus

Abstract

Activity-guided isolation of compounds from the fruits of Amomum xanthioides resulted in the purification of fourteen phenolic compounds, 4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde (1), 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (2), 3,5-dimethoxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde (3), syringic aldehyde (4), benzoic acid (5), 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid (6), vanillic acid (7), 3-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzoic acid (8), o-vanillic acid (9), phenylacetic acid (10), tyrosol (11), pyrocatechol (12), 1,2,4,5-tetramethoxybenzene (13), and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethoxybiphenyl-4,4′-diol (14). To evaluate the anti-allergic inflammatory activities of these compounds, we examined the inhibitory effects of the isolates (1-14) on histamine release and on the expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)–6 genes by using human mast cells. Of the tested compounds, 9, 11, and 13 suppressed histamine release from mast cells, and all isolates attenuated the expressions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6 genes in human mast cells.