Acetoxybenzhydrols as highly active and stable analogues of 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol, a potent antiallergic principal from Alpinia galanga.

Through SAR studies on 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (1) against Type I antiallergic activity by indexing release of beta-hexosaminidase, a marker of antigen-IgE-mediated degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells, more stable and potent analogue, 4-(methoxycarbonyloxyphenylmethyl)phenyl acetate (16), has been developed. The compound 16 also strongly inhibited the antigen-IgE-mediated TNF-alpha and IL-4 production.