Anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities of secondary metabolites isolated from the leaves of <i>Gymnosporia chevalieri</i>

A new triterpenoid, 3,4-seco-29-hydroxyfriedelan-3-oic acid (<b>1</b>), was obtained from the leafy parts of <i>Gymnosporia chevalieri</i>, along with eighteen previously identified compounds. These included four pentacyclic triterpenoids (<b>2</b>-<b>5</b>), two carotenoids (<b>6</b> and <b>7</b>), one flavanol dimer (<b>8</b>), nine flavonoids (<b>9</b>-<b>17</b>), one megastigmane glycoside (<b>18</b>), and one pentose (<b>19</b>). A combination of spectroscopic techniques was employed for structural identification. Thirteen isolates (<b>2</b>, <b>4</b>, <b>7</b>-<b>12</b>, <b>14</b>, <b>15</b> and <b>17</b>-<b>19</b>) showed inhibitory activity in the macrophage NO production model, with IC₅₀ values in the range (13.0 and 95.2 µM). Compound <b>14</b> had the most potent effect (IC₅₀ = 13.0 µM), which was comparable to that of dexamethasone. Compounds <b>1</b>, <b>3</b> and <b>6</b> exerted pronounced anti-proliferative effects against Hep-G2, A549 and MCF-7 cell lines with IC₅₀ values in the range (9.3 and 23.6 µM). This is the first phytochemical investigation of <i>G. chevalieri</i>.