NOBILETIN FROM CITRUS HAVING ANTI-INFLAMMATION ACTIVITY, AND THE METHOD OF SEPARATION AND PURIFY

摘要

A method for preparing nobiletin from citrus is provided to isolate and purify the nobiletin with high purity from the citrus. And nobiletin derived from citrus is provided to be used for effectively treating various inflammatory diseases caused by inflammatory factors by showing anti-inflammatory activity. A method for preparing nobiletin from citrus comprises the steps of: (a) separating pericarp and flesh of citrus; (b) lyophilizing the citrus pericarp and extracting it with 80% methanol; (c) filtering the methanol extract; (d) concentrating the filtrate; (e) extracting the methanol extract concentrate with hexane and water and then extracting an aqueous layer with ethylacetate; (f) concentrating the ethylacetate extract to prepare an ethylacetate fraction; (g) subjecting the ethylacetate fraction to a normal phase column chromatography; (h) subjecting the fraction obtained from the step(g) to a thin layer chromatography(TLC) to separate a fraction; (i) subjecting the fraction obtained from the step(h) to a high speed liquid chromatography to obtain a fraction having the highest content of nobiletin; (j) firstly purifying the fraction selected from the step(i) using a recirculation liquid chromatography; and (k) secondly purifying the nobiletin purified by the step(j) using a recirculation liquid chromatography. A composition for improving and preventing inflammatory diseases comprises the nobiletin as an effective ingredient and is characterized in that it inhibits the generation of at least one NO, prostaglandin E2(PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta(IL-1beta) and interleukin-6(IL-6).