Anti-inflammation furanoditerpenoids from Caesalpinia minax Hance

Cassane skeletons are rare in nature, but often possess valuable medicinal properties. A furanoditerpenoid with an unusual A-seco-rearranged cassane skeleton, neocaesalminin A, and five furanoditerpenoids were isolated from seeds of Caesalpinia minax Hance, along with six known cassane derivatives, 7-O-acetyl-bonducellpin C, caesalmin F, caesalmin C, zeta-caesalmin E1 and caesalpinin K. Compound structures were determined by spectroscopy (HR-ESI-MS, UV, IR, 1D NMR, 2D NMR), X-ray crystallography and quantum chemical computation of electronic circular dichroism). Three of the previously known compounds exhibited significant inhibition of nitric oxide production of RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.