The first synthesis and immunomodulatory properties of -hydroxyphenyl caffeate derived from .

Herein, we report a concise and efficient method for the synthesis of -hydroxyphenyl caffeate, a novel natural caffeic acid ester derivative isolated from . The key feature of this synthesis is the Verley-Doebner modification of the Knoevenagel condensation of the -hydroxyphenyl malonate intermediate. The synthesized -hydroxyphenyl caffeate enhanced interleukin 2 production by murine lymph node T cells, and suppressed interleukin 13 production by murine epidermal T cells. This implies that -hydroxyphenyl caffeate might be a novel immunomodulatory drug candidate, specifically targeting T helper 2 cell type responses in skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and vitiligo. [Formula: see text].