Isolation and identification of an anti-inflammatory principle from Capparis spinosa.

The homologous polyprenols cappaprenol-12 (1), cappaprenol-13 (2) and cappaprenol-14 (3) with 12, 13 and 14 isoprene units, respectively, could be isolated by preparative HPLC from alcoholic extracts of Capparis spinosa. Testing 2 for its anti-inflammatory activity an inhibition of the carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats of 44 vs. 67% for the standard oxyphenbutazone was found.