ABSTRACT
Sesquiterpene-quinone is a class of secondary metabolites frequently encountered from marine sponge. The present study was designed to examine the anti-inflammatory action of sponge-derived dactyloquinone B (DQB) and cyclospongiaquinone-1 (CSQ1) mixture using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses. We measured the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein. TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6 production, which increased by treatment with LPS, were significantly inhibited by DQB and CSQ1 mixture. It also decreased the production of NO production, and iNOS and COX-2 expression. Furthermore, it reduced 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema of ICR mice. These results demonstrate that sesquiterpene-quinone, DQB and CSQ1 mixture, might serve as a chemical pipeline for the development of anti-inflammatory agent.