# Chemical constituents of Lycium barbarum leaves and their anti-rheumatoid arthritis activity in vitro

## TL;DR

This study identifies new compounds in Lycium barbarum leaves that show anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects in a lab model.

## Contribution

The discovery of two new compounds and their anti-inflammatory activity in an in vitro rheumatoid arthritis model.

## Key findings

- 34 compounds were isolated from Lycium barbarum leaves, including two new ones.
- Several compounds inhibited lactate dehydrogenase and nitric oxide at 20 μM.
- Compound 1 showed the highest inhibition rates for NO and LDH.

## Abstract

Two new together with 32 known compounds were isolated from the leaves of Lycium barbarum. Their structures were elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, and ECD spectroscopic techniques. Compounds 1–34 were evaluated for their anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced MH7A cells inflammatory model. As a result, compounds 1–3, 6, 8, 10, 14, 17–19, 29 and 31 inhibited the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and nitric oxide (NO) at concentrations 20 μM. Among them, compound 1 showed the best effectiveness, with inhibition rates of 46.7% for NO and 32.8% for LDH.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13659-025-00516-9.