-Aryl iminochromenes inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes π-π stacking interactions and present a novel class of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX1/2) have been widely studied and noted for their role in the biosynthesis of inflammation-induced proteins, prostaglandins and thromboxane. Multiple anti-inflammatory drugs have been developed to target these two enzymes, but most of them appeared to have notable adverse effects, especially on the cardiovascular system and lower gastrointestinal tract, suggesting an urgent need for new potent anti-inflammatory drugs. In this study, we screened twenty-two previously synthesized -aryl iminochromenes (NAIs) for their anti-inflammatory activity by performing COX-1/2 inhibitory assays.