Anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor-promoting effects of cucurbitane glycosides from the roots of Bryonia dioica

Seven new triterpene glycosides, bryoniosides A-G (1-7), have been isolated along with two known triterpene glycosides, cabenoside D (8) and bryoamaride (9), from a methanol extract of the roots of Bryoniadioica. The structures of 1-7 were determined on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods. Six compounds, 2, 3, 5, and 7-9, and 11 compounds, 1-9, bryodulcosigenin (10), and bryosigenin (11), respectively, were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation (1 microg/ear) in mice and on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation induced by TPA. All compounds tested showed marked anti-inflammatory effects, with 50% inhibitory doses (ID(50)) of 0.2-0.6 mg per ear. In addition, all of the compounds tested except for compound 5 showed potent inhibitory effects on EBV-EA induction (100% inhibition at 1 x 10(3) mol ratio/TPA).