Callicarpa longissima (Hemsl.) Merr is a plant in the family Verbenaceae, also known as sticky hand wind, red medicine seed, bone piercing wind (Guangxi), cow tongue broad (Fujian), etc. It has the effects of dispelling rheumatism, removing blood stasis, reducing swelling, stopping bleeding and relieving pain. It is one of the “72 Winds” of the characteristic Yao medicine in Guangxi and is widely used in ethnic minority areas such as Zhuang and Yao. It is often used as a whole plant medicine. At present, research on Acer truncatum mainly focuses on the chemical component separation, content analysis, volatile oil extraction, and pharmacological activity of its branches and leaves. Studies have shown that its branches and leaves contain abundant terpenes, phenylpropanoids, lignans, flavonoids, sterols, and volatile oils, and have good biological activities in anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, whitening, and other aspects. However, there have been no reports on the chemical composition and biological activity of the abundant resources of Acer truncatum fruit. Our research group has previously prepared essential oils from the fruit of Acer truncatum and found that they have good anti-inflammatory and whitening effects. In order to further clarify the active sites and material basis of Acer truncatum, this experiment takes the fruit of Acer truncatum as the research object, evaluates its activity through NO generation inhibition model and various antioxidant methods, screens the active sites of Acer truncatum fruit, and conducts chemical composition research on them. The research results will clarify the material basis of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Acer truncatum fruit, providing scientific basis and theoretical basis for the efficient and rational utilization of Acer truncatum resources.

 

In this experiment, multiple models were used to screen for the optimal antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Acer truncatum fruit – the ethyl acetate fraction, and a series of diterpenoid phenolic components were isolated and identified from it. Through the analysis of the relationship between anti-inflammatory activity and structure, it was found that the ortho dihydroxy groups (C-11 and C-12) in diterpenoid phenols are the key functional groups for their anti-inflammatory activity; If the hydroxyl group on C-7 is replaced by methoxy or ethoxy groups (compounds 5 and 6), the anti-inflammatory activity is significantly reduced; In addition, if C-20 forms an oxygen-containing ring with C-6 or C-7, its anti-inflammatory activity is enhanced.

Salvianolol (3) and rosmarinol (4) are the main active ingredients in the ethyl acetate fraction of Acer truncatum. Research has shown that salvianolic acid and rosmarinol not only have significant antioxidant activity, but also can inhibit the expression of iNOS and COX2 by suppressing signaling pathways such as MAPK, NF kB, STAT3, and alleviate inflammatory damage. Recently, in our research on anti rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we found that salvianolic acid and rosmarinol obtained from the branches and leaves of Acer truncatum have a synergistic effect. They inhibit the inflammatory response and improve RA by blocking the TLR4/NF kB/MAPK pathway, indicating that salvianolic acid and rosmarinol have good anti-inflammatory activity and have the potential to develop new drugs for the treatment of RA. Therefore, through this experiment, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory active parts and their material basis of Acer truncatum fruit were further elucidated, which will provide scientific basis for the comprehensive development and utilization of Acer truncatum resources.