Antiinflammatory effect of Forsythia suspensa V(AHL) and its active principle.

This study was carried out to elucidate the antiinflammatory active principles obtained from 70% methanol extract of the dried fruit of Forsythia suspensa V(AHL) (F. suspensa). The methanol extract was then partitioned between n-hexane and water, and then the n-hexane fraction was evaporated to dryness under vacuum. The n-hexane fraction was chromatographed (Frs. I--V), Fr. IV was rechromatographed (Frs. VI--VIII), and then Fr. VII was rechromatographed (Frs. IX--XI) by silica gel column chromatography. The antiinflammatory activity of these fractions was investigated on acetic acid-induced vascular permeability in rats. The n-hexane fraction showed an antiinflammatory effect and these activities shifted successively to Fr. IV, Fr. VII and Fr. X. The chemical structure of the active principle obtained from Fr. X was identified as 3beta-acetoxy-20,25-epoxydammarane-24-ol. These results suggest that the antiinflammatory and an analgesic effect of 70% methanol extract of F. suspensa may be the result of the compound that it contains.