Anti-inflammatory Grayanane Diterpenoids from the Leaves of Rhododendron molle

Thirteen new grayanane diterpenoids (1-13), a new dimeric grayanane diterpenoid, bimollfoliagein A (14), and 15 known analogues (15-29) were isolated from the leaves of Rhododendron molle. The structures of the new compounds (1-14) were determined by extensive spectroscopic data interpretation. The absolute configurations of 1-3, 7, 8, 16, 18, and 24 were defined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Mollfoliagein A (1) represents the first example of a 2,3:11,16-diepoxy grayanane diterpenoid, featuring a cis/trans/cis/cis/trans-fused 3/5/7/6/5/5 hexacyclic ring system with a 7,13-dioxahexacyclo [10.3.3.0(1,11).0(4,9).0(6,8).0(14,17)]octadecane scaffold. Diterpenoids 1-29 were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities in vitro, and 15, 16, 18, 19, 23-26, 28, and 29 exhibited significant inhibitory activities against nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 mouse macrophages with ICso values ranging from 2.8 to 35.4 mu M. A preliminary structure-ctivity relationship for the anti-inflammatory activity of diterpenoids 1-29 is discussed.