Bioassay-guided isolation of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory components from Atractylodes lancea

A bioassay-guided isolation from Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. obtained 22 compounds, including eight previously undescribed sesquiterpenoids and polyacetylenes (1, 3 and 12–17), as well as fourteen known analogues, and their structures were confirmed by extensive spectroscopic methods. This study evaluated their antibacterial activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for the first time, as well as anti-inflammatory activity. Most of them, including new compounds, showed varying degrees of antibacterial activity against S. aureus and MRSA. Notably, compound 21 exhibited significant antibacterial activity against four different bacteria (MIC 6.25–20.00 μg/mL). This suggested that 21 may have the potential to be developed into a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent. Moreover, except for 9 and 11, most compounds exhibited great anti-inflammatory activity (IC₅₀ 1.92–37.91 μM), and iNOS might be a potential target of these compounds according to the molecular docking analysis.