Flavonoids isolated from the leaves of Melicope triphylla and their extracellular-superoxide dismutase-inducing activity

Two novel flavonoids, named meliflavones A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the leaves of Melicope triphylla (Lam.) Merr., along with thirteen known compounds (3-15). Four of the polymethoxyflavonoids bearing a prenyloxy (3-methylbut-2-enyloxy) function (1, 3-5) induced the expression of extracellular-superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) in a human leukemic U937 cell-based assay. (C) 2013 Phytochemical Society of Europe. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.