Unprecedented triterpenes with anti-inflammatory activity from Limax maximus

  • J Nat Med. 2025 Sep;79(5):1216-1225. doi: 10.1007/s11418-025-01936-0.
Ya-Feng Wang  1 ,  Pei-de Tang  2 ,  Rui-Jie He  1 ,  Zhang-Bin Liu  1 ,  Yong-Qiong Wei  2 ,  Jun Ruan  2 ,  Bing-Yuan Yang  1 ,  Yong-Lin Huang  3
Affiliations
  • 1. Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Phytochemicals and Sustainable Utilization, Guilin, 541006, China.
  • 2. Guangxi Jiufu Biotechnology Co., Nanning, 530000, China.
  • 3. Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Phytochemicals and Sustainable Utilization, Guilin, 541006, China. [email protected].
PMID: 40748596 DOI: 10.1007/s11418-025-01936-0
Abstract

Four Triterpenes with the unprecedented pentacyclic skeletons were isolated from Limax maximus, the traditional medicine of the Zhuang ethnic group in Guangxi. Notably, compounds 1-4 were characterized by rare 7/6/5 tricyclic ring moiety linked to 6/5 bicyclic moiety via three carbon chain. The structures of compounds 1-4 were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-2 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis using Cu Kα radiation. Biogenetically, compound 1 could be derived from the tetraepoxysqualenes, via cyclisation and hydroxylation reactions. Bioactivity assay results showed that compound 4 significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells at 25 µM with inhibition of NO production by 47%.

Keywords
Limax maximus; Anti-inflammatory; Traditional medicine; Triterpenes.
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