Fuente: Molecules - Revista científica (MDPI) Molecules, Vol. 30, Pages 4514: Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects of Compounds Isolated from Quercus acuta Thunb. Fruits via NF-κB Signaling Inhibition in BV2 Microglia
Molecules doi: 10.3390/molecules30234514
Authors:
Hwan Lee
Yezhi Jin
Ji-Ae Hong
Chenyang Bai
Gyoyoung Lee
Suhyeon Woo
Chi-Su Yoon
Donghyuck Bae
Dong-Sung Lee

Aging is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases in which microglia-driven neuroinflammation plays a critical role in neuronal dysfunction and disease progression. In this study, we sought to isolate bioactive metabolites from Quercus acuta Thunb. fruits—which have traditionally been used in oriental medicine but are chemically and pharmacologically underexplored—and evaluate their anti-neuroinflammatory potential. A total of 14 compounds were isolated from an ethanol extract of Q. acuta fruits through bioactivity-guided isolation, and their structures were identified by NMR spectroscopy. Notably, this study is the first to demonstrate that 3,5,7,2′,6′-pentahydroxyflavanone and 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, among the compounds isolated from Q. acuta fruits, exhibit significant anti-neuroinflammatory activities. Both compounds reduced the production of proinflammatory mediators, including IL-6 and TNF-α, while inhibiting the expression of iNOS and COX-2. Moreover, they significantly inhibited NF-κB activation in lipopolysaccharide-induced BV2 microglia. Collectively, these findings indicate that Q. acuta fruits contain bioactive constituents with previously unreported anti-neuroinflammatory properties, supporting their potential as a natural source for the development of therapeutic agents targeting age-related neuroinflammation.