Inhibition of Human Neutrophil Elastase by Sesquiterpene Lactone Dimers from the Flowers of Inula britannica

A new sesquiterpene lactone dimer [1], together with five known compounds (2-6), was isolated from the flowers of Inula britannica. The structures of these compounds were established by extensive spectroscopic studies and chemical evidence. The inhibitory activities of these isolated compounds (1-6) against human neutrophil elastase (HNE) were also evaluated in vitro; compounds 1 and 6 exhibited significant inhibitory effects against HNE activity, with $IC_{50}$ values of 8.2 and $10.4{\mu}m$, respectively, comparable to that of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG; $IC_{50}=10.9{\mu}M$). In addition, compounds 3 and 5 exhibited moderate HNE inhibitory effects, with $IC_{50}$ values of 21.9 and $42.5{\mu}M$, respectively. In contrast, compounds 2 and 4 exhibited no such activity ($IC_{50}$ > $100{\mu}M$). The mechanism by which 1 and 3 inhibited HNE was noncompetitive inhibition, with inhibition constant ($K_i$) values of 8.0 and $22.8{\mu}M$, respectively.