Discovery of bioactive constituents from Inula britannica and their anti-pneumonia effects

Pneumonia is a highly prevalent acute respiratory infection worldwide, and Inula britannica displayed an anti-pneumonia effect. Herein, twenty compounds were isolated from I. britannica, including seven newly discovered compounds—six terpenoids named inulabritanoids P−U (1−6) and one novel lignan, inulabritanoid V (7)—along with thirteen known compounds (8−20). Their structural frameworks were clarified through 1D and 2D NMR, and HR-MS data. Effects of all the elucidated compounds for anti-pneumonia activities were assessed using the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pneumonia model in MH-S alveolar macrophages. Compounds 3, 5, 6, 12, and 18 showed potent anti-pneumonia activities in LPS-exposed MH-S cells. Notably, compound 6 exhibited the most potent bioactivity: it significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production and downregulated the expression levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), IL-6, and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5). Further investigations revealed that the anti-pneumonia effect of compound 6 depended on inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPK/AP-1 signaling pathways. These results indicate that compound 6 represents a viable lead molecule for combating pneumonia, laying a foundation for future studies.