Curzerenone (CZ)

Curzerenone is an antimicrobial isolate of Lindera pulcherrima. Rhizomes of Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton (Zingiberaceae) have traditionally been used for controlling inflammatory conditions. Numerous studies have aimed to isolate and characterize the bioactive constituents of C. phaeocaulis. It has been reported that its anti-inflammatory properties are a result of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition; however, its effect on the T-cell function remains to be elucidated. In this study, four known sesquiterpenoids, viz., ar-turmerone (TM), germacrone (GM), (+)-(4S,5S)-germacrone-4,5-epoxide (GE), and curzerenone (CZ), were isolated from C. phaeocaulis rhizomes and evaluated for their effects on the CD4+ T-cell function. While GM, GE, and CZ had no effect on the activation of splenic T cells or CD4+ T cells, TM suppressed the interferon (IFN)-γ production, without affecting the interleukin (IL)-4 expression.