Tracheloside, the main constituent of the total lignan extract from Trachelospermi Caulis, inhibited rheumatoid arthritis via IL-17/MAPK signaling pathway

A quantitative analysis method was established using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to simultaneously determine five lignans in the total lignan extract (TLE) from Trachelospermi Caulis at 280 nm, including nortracheloside, tracheloside, nortrachelogenin, trachelogenin, and arctigenin. The method demonstrated good linearity for each lignan within their respective ranges, with precision, stability, and repeatability meeting the criteria for quantitative analysis. Tracheloside, the most abundant compound in the TLE, effectively inhibited the release of inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-17, and suppressed the migration MH7A cells in vitro. Furthermore, tracheloside reduced the production of key inflammatory factors, including COX-2, IL-6, IL-17, MMP2, MMP3, MMP9, JNK, p-JNK, p38, and p-p38 in TNF-α induced MH7A cells, thereby inhibiting the IL-17/MAPK signaling pathway, and thus contributing to its anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects. This study represents the first report on the simultaneous quantification of five major lignans from Trachelospermi Caulis and the anti-inflammatory properties of tracheloside.