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Koenimbine (1), a carbazole alkaloid isolated from Murraya koenigii, belongs to the Rutaceae family. Various pharmacological effects such as anti-diabetic, melanogenesis inhibition, anti-diarrheal, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties of koenimbine have already been reported. In the current study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory role of koenimbine (1) and its novel semi-synthetic derivative 8-methoxy-3,3,5-trimethylpyrano[3,2-a] carbazole-11(3H)-yl) (3-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl) methanone (1G) in both in vitro and in vivo biological systems. Our results demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory activity of 1G significantly lowered the production of NO, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α & IL-1β), LTB4 following LPS stimulation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, 1G significantly attenuated the expression levels of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in a dose dependent manner and also decreased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, the oral administration of 1G reduced the inflammatory response in carrageenan-induced paw edema in BALB/C mice. Moreover, it effectively reduced NO, IL-6, IL-1β & TNF-α levels, liver markers (AST, ALT), and kidney markers (BUN, CRE, and Urea). Also, 1G reverted the infiltration of inflammatory cells and tissue damage in lungs, liver and kidney enhanced the survival rate in LPS-challenged mice. 1G blocks NF-κB p65 from translocating into the nucleus and activating inflammatory gene transcription. These results illustrated that 1G suppresses the inflammatory effects both in-vitro and in-vivo studies via downregulating the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that semi-synthetic derivative 1G can effectively attenuate the inflammatory response via NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways; suggesting 1G is a potential novel anti-inflammatory drug candidate in treating inflammatory disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Despite various advances in the arena of the current system of medicine, there are numerous side effects associated with the therapeutics which essentially demand research on the development of safer therapeutics. One way is to explore the bioactive plant secondary metabolites and their semisynthetic derivatives. In context to this, we analyzed OA-DHZ, a dehydrozingerone derivative as the later has been reported to show anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. OA-DHZ was found to be having promising anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential. OA-DHZ was found to inhibit the carrageenan-induced edema and leukocyte migration, acetic acid-induced increase in vascular permeability and lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. Meanwhile, it was also found to potentially inhibit thermally as well as chemically induced pain signifying its analgesic/nociceptive potential. Further, safety pharmacology studies using in vivo animal models for the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, the cardio-respiratory system suggest that optimum functioning of vital organ systems does not get altered after single oral administration. Also, the acute toxicity study revealed its nontoxic nature up to 2000 mg/kg. This study paves the way for future exploration and development of OA-DHZ based on its potent activity and nontoxic nature., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)