Objective To investigate the chemical components and anti-inflammatory activities of the roots of Stemona tuberosa from Hainan province. Methods The chemical constituents of S. tuberosa were isolated and purified using chromatography techniques such as silica gel, gel column chromatography, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Subsequently, the structures of the purified compounds were identified by modern spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). Finally, the anti-inflammatory activities of the compounds were evaluated using the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine monocyte-macrophage RAW264.7 cell model. Results A total of seven compounds were isolated from S. tuberosa, and identified as (4R)-3,5,5-trimethyl-4-(3-methylbut-2-enoyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one (1 ), oxystemofoline (2 ), methyl 4-hydroxycinnamate (3 ), (-)-stemoamide (4 ), tuberostemospiroline (5 ), stemanthrene C (6 ), stilbostemin F (7 ). Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited inhibitory activity against NO production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells, with median inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) values of (42.99 ± 4.96) and (70.22 ± 0.81) μmol/L, respectively. Conclusion Compound 1 was identified as a new compound, named tuberostemoterpenone. Compound 2 was isolated from S. tuberosa for the first time. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited no significant cytotoxicity within the tested concentration range and demonstrated certain anti-inflammatory activity.

Stemona tuberosa Lour.  /  alkaloids  /  norsesquiterpenoids  /  anti-inflammatory activity  /  tuberostemoterpenone  /  oxystemofoline  /  methyl 4-hydroxycinnamate