Synthesis of licochalcone analogues with increased anti-inflammatory activity.

Licohalcones have been reported to have various biological activities. However, most of licochalcones also showed cytotoxicity even though their versitile utilities. Licochalcones B and D, which have common substituents at aromatic ring B, are targeted to modify the structure at aromatic ring A for inflammatory studies. Licochalcone derivatives (1-6) thus prepared are compared for their suppression ability of nitric oxide (NO) production and showed 9.94, 4.72, 10.1, 4.85, 2.37 and 4.95μM of IC50 values, respectively.