Potential Anti-inflammatory Steroidal Saponins from the Berries of Solanum nigrum L. (European Black Nightshade)

Solanum nigrum L. or European black nightshade (Solanum genus) is a common weed of crops and gardens. The berries and leaves of S. nigrum L. are consumed as food or vegetable in some regions and reported to possess a range of biological activities. In this study, nine new steroidal saponins, solanigrosides Y1-Y9 (1-6, 10-12), together with seven known congeners, were isolated from the berries of S. nigrum. Their potential inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) and IL-6 and IL-1β production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in macrophages cell line RAW 264.7 were evaluated. Compound 1 exhibited significant inhibition on NO production with an IC50 value of 9.7 μM, and some compounds exhibited significant inhibition effects on the LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-1β production. These results suggest that the steroidal saponins from berries of S. nigrum demonstrated pronounced anti-inflammatory activity and might be explored as a healthy benefit agent.