Identification of lignans as selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors from the extract of Acanthopanacis cortex

Acanthopanacis cortex (the dried root bark of Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith) has been used for the treatment of rheumatic diseases in China for over 2000 years. Four previously undescribed lignans (1–4) and 12 known lignans (5–16) were isolated from Acanthopanacis cortex. In this study, the inhibitory activities of compounds 1–16 against neutrophil elastase (NE), cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are reported. The results show that compounds 1–16 exhibit weak inhibitory activities against NE and COX-1. However, compounds 2, 6–8 and 13–16 demonstrate better COX-2 inhibitory effects with IC₅₀ values from 0.75 to 8.17 μΜ. These findings provide useful information for the search for natural selective COX-2 inhibitors.