Context: Capparis L. (Capparaceae) is grown worldwide. Caper has been used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases including rheumatism, kidney, liver, stomach, as well as headache and toothache.

Objective: To isolate and elucidate of the secondary metabolites of the C. ovata extracts which are responsible for their anti-inflammatory activities.

Materials and methods: Buds, fruits, flowers, leaves and stems of C. ovata Desf. was dried, cut to pieces, then ground separately. From their dichloromethane/hexane (1:1) extracts, eight compounds were isolated and their structures were elucidated by NMR, mass spectroscopic techniques. The effects of compounds on the expression of inflammatory cytokines in SH-SY5Y cell lines were examined by qRT-PCR ranging from 4 to 96 µM. Cell viability was expressed as a percentage of the control, untreated cells.

<strong class="sub-title"> Results: </strong> This is a first report on isolation of triterpenoids and steroids from <i>C. ovata</i> with anti-inflammatory activity. One new triterpenoid ester olean-12-en-3β,28-diol, 3β-pentacosanoate (<b>1</b>) and two new natural steroids 5α,6α-epoxycholestan-3β-ol (<b>5</b>) and 5β,6β-epoxycholestan-3β-ol (<b>6</b>) were elucidated besides known compounds; oleanolic acid (<b>2</b>), ursolic acid (<b>3</b>), β-sitosterol (<b>4</b>), stigmast-5,22-dien-3β-myristate (<b>7</b>) and bismethyl-octylphthalate (<b>8</b>). mRNA expression levels as EC₁₀ of all the tested seven genes were decreased, particularly CXCL9 (19.36-fold), CXCL10 (8.14-fold), and TNF (18.69) by the treatment of 26 µM of compound <b>1</b> on SH-SY5Y cells.

<strong class="sub-title"> Discussion and conclusions: </strong> Triterpenoids and steroids isolated from <i>C. ovata</i> were found to be moderate-strong anti-inflammatory compounds. Particularly, compounds <b>1</b> and <b>3</b> were found to be promising therapeutic agents in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Keywords: 3β-pentacosanoate; Capparaceae; anti-inflammatory; anticholinesterase; fatty acid; olean-12-en-3β, 28-diol; secondary metabolites; spectroscopy; structure elucidation.