Anti-inflammatory compounds natural products

Anti-inflammatory compounds can act at different levels. They can, for example, decrease vasodilatation and edema, as in the case of antihistaminic drugs inhibit PGs synthesis as do the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs modify synthesis or block the receptors of mediators such as PAF or LTs interfere with the functions of peptide mediators block the transcription factors or scavenge free radicals generated in the process. Natural products as anti-inflammatory agents may act at different levels, some by non specific pathways as antioxidants do or by a specific mechanism via receptor antagonism. The lignans can act in both cases. 

The hydrolysis of racemic non-natural amides has led to useful products and intermediates for the fine chemical industry. Thus hydrolysis of the racemic amide (2) with an acylase in Rhodococcus erythrolpolis furnished the (S)-acid (the anti-inflammatory agent Naproxen) in 42 % yield and > 99 % enantiomeric excess1201. Obtaining the 7-lactam (—)-(3) has been the subject of much research and development effort, since the compound is a very versatile synthon for the production of carbocyclic nucleosides. An acylase from Comamonas acidovor-ans has been isolated, cloned and overexpressed. The acylase tolerates a 500 g/ litre input of racemic lactam, hydrolyses only the (+)-enantiomer leaving the desired intermediate essentially optically pure (E > 400)[211. 

Caribbean coral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae discovered by Fenical et al. [47], Pseudopterosin E, Fig. (3) is the one with the best pharmacological profile, combining low toxicity and potent antiinflammatory activity. In human neutrophils, pseudopterosin E inhibits degranulation and formation of Ieukotrienes [2], In 1991, phase I clinical trials were initiated with pseudopterosin E as a topical anti-inflammatory agent. Recently, novel anti-inflammatory natural products have been isolated from this Caribbean soft coral [48,49], Japanese researchers reported the isolation of a group of compounds designated helioporins A-E, which are related to the pseudopterosins [1],... 

---