NF-κB inhibitory activities of phenolic and lignan components from the stems of Acanthopanax divaricatus var. albeofructus

Acanthopanax divaricatus var. albeofructus (ADA) is commonly ingested as a traditional medicine or as a component of a health drink in Korea. In this phytochemical study, nine phenolics (1 - 9) and three lignans (10 - 12) were isolated from the MeOH extract of the stems of ADA. Chemical structures were elucidated by comparing spectroscopic data with reported values. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitory activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated using an NF-κB luciferase assay in HepG2 cells. Among them, compounds 1, 3 - 8, and 11 showed significant inhibitory effects on TNFα-induced NF-κB transcriptional activity in a dosedependent manner, with IC50 values ranging from 13.25 to 37.36 μM. Further studies on potential antiinflammatory effects and the benefits of phenolic and lignan components from ADA are warranted.