Terpenes and sterols from the fruits of Prunus mume and their inhibitory effects on osteoclast differentiation by suppressing tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity.

The fruits of Prunus mume are a common commercial product and a valuable source of food and medicinal material in Eastern Asian countries. Our phytochemical investigation of the P. mume fruit led to the isolation of nine terpenes, including three ursane-type triterpenes (1-3), two cycloartane-type triterpenes (4 and 5), and four tocopherols (10-13), as well as four sterols (6-9). Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR and ESI-MS, and the majority of these compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. The anti-osteoporosis activities of 1-13 were evaluated by measuring their inhibitory effects on tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity in receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand-induced osteoclastic RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Compounds 2-7 and 9-12 significantly suppressed TRAP activity down to 47.96 ± 2.45-86.45 ± 3.07 % relative to the control at a concentration of 1 μM. These results suggest that the fruits of P. mume could be an excellent source of anti-osteoporosis phytochemicals that may be developed as natural nutraceuticals and functional foods.