Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Xanthones from Hypericum beanii on Macrophage RAW 264.7 Cells through Reduced NO Production and TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and COX-2 Expression

Hypericum beanii N. Robson, a perennial upright herb, predominantly inhabits temperate regions. This species has been utilized for the treatment of various inflammation-related diseases. One new xanthone 3,7-dihydroxy-1,6-dimethoxyxanthone (1) and twenty-three known xanthones (2-24) were isolated from the aerial parts of H. beanii. The structure of the new compound was determined based on high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HR-ESIMS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV) spectroscopic data. The anti-inflammatory effects of all the isolates were assessed by measuring the inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Compounds 3,4-dihydroxy-2-methoxyxanthone (15), 1,3,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone (19), and 1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone (22) exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effects at a concentration of 10 mu M with higher potency compared to the positive control quercetin. Furthermore, compounds 15, 19, and 22 reduced inducible NO synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-6, and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) mRNA expression in the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, suggesting that these compounds may mitigate the synthesis of the aforementioned molecules at the transcriptional level, provisionally confirming their anti-inflammatory efficacy.