Bioassay-guided purification of sesquiterpenoids from the fruiting bodies of: Fomitopsis pinicola and their anti-inflammatory activity

Twelve undescribed sesquiterpenoids, fomitopins A-L (1-12), were isolated via bioassay-guided purification from the bracket fungus Fomitopsis pinicola (Sw.) P. Karst, and this fungus have been reported to exhibit anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory activities. The structures of 1-12 were elucidated by spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses and their absolute configurations were further confirmed by ECD simulations. Ten isolated compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory potential and compound 11 exhibited the most significant inhibition of superoxide anion generation and elastase release with IC₅₀ values of 0.81 ± 0.15 and 0.74 ± 0.12 μM. These newly purified sesquiterpenoids could be potential candidates for further anti-inflammatory studies.