β-Carboline Alkaloids from Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata and Their Anti-inflammatory Activity

The present investigation on the chemical constituents of the roots of Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata has resulted in the isolation of 21 beta-carboline alkaloids, including 13 new compounds, dichotomides III-XIV (1-12) and dichotomine E (13), and eight known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. Among these isolated alkaloids, five compounds were examined for their anti-inflammatory potential for the inhibition of NO production in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. All compounds tested exhibited significant inhibition of NO production, with IC50 values in the range of 11.3 to 19.3 mu M.