Identification of the chemical composition of blue honeyberry leaves (Lonicera caerulea L. var. edulis) and their anti-inflammatory activity

Blue honeyberry is a well-known nutritious fruit. Meanwhile, it is also an Oroqen herb in China. However, the chemical constituent of the leaves of the plant is little known, despite having better anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we investigated the chemical constituents of blue honeyberry leaves and screened their anti-inflammatory effects in RAW264.7 cells. Thirty-nine compounds including a new fernane-type triterpenoid were isolated and identified using various chromatographic approaches and spectroscopic techniques. The new compound and some other components showed a significant anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 cells, in which compounds 6 and 38 exhibited the inhibition of 40.6 ± 4.8% and 46.0 ± 1.4% at the concentration of 100 μM, respectively, without inducing any cytotoxicity.