Cellular Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Bamboo Leaf Extract and Its Constituent Coumaric Acid Methyl Ester.

Background: Hot water extract of (Kumazasa) leaves is commercially available and used as a dietary supplement or skincare cream. The extract possesses anti-inflammatory activity on the mouse atopic dermatitis model. To elucidate the mechanism of in vivo activity, we have studied the cellular anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the extract and its constituents.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of (2R,3R,4R)-dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ), a new activator of antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2.

Dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ, 1a) is a specific and potent inhibitor of NF-κB, and it is now being developed as an anti-inflammatory and anticancer agent. While previously only the (2S,3S,4S)-form had been available from the racemate by using lipase-catalyzed enantioselective resolution, in the present study a new route for production of the (2R,3R,4R)-form was established by use of a chemoenzymatic approach. (1R*,2R*,3R*)-2,3-Epoxy-5-N-[(2-hydroxybenzoyl)amino]-4,4-dimethoxycyclohex-5-en-1-ol (2a) was hexanoylated on both secondary and phenolic hydroxy groups, and subjected to Burkholderia cepacia lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis.