Structurally Diverse Labdane Diterpenoids from Leonurus japonicus and Their Anti-inflammatory Properties in LPS-Induced RAW264.7 Cells

A phytochemical study on the aerial parts of Leonurus japonicus led to the isolation and identification of 38 labdane diterpenoids, including 18 new (1, 2, 11, 12, 16–21, 24, 30–34, 37, 38) and 20 known (3–10, 13–15, 22, 23, 25–29, 35, 36) analogues. Their structures were elucidated based on physical data analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR, HRMS, UV, IR, and X-ray diffraction. The structure of the known compound 4 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. These compounds can be divided into furanolabdane (1–10), tetrahydro­furanolabdane (11–15), lactonelabdane (16–23), labdane (24–29), and seco-labdane (30–38) type diterpenoids. All compounds were screened by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric acid (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells to evaluate anti-inflammatory effects. Compounds 1, 5, 10–13, 16–19, 31–33, and 38 inhibited NO production with IC₅₀ values lower than 50 μM, with compound 30 being the most active, with an IC₅₀ value of 3.9 ± 1.7 μM. Further studies show that compound 30 inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine production and IKK α/β phosphorylation and restores the IκB expression levels in the NF-κB signaling pathway.