Malabaricone C is a diarylnonanoid that has been found in Myristica and has diverse biological activities. It scavenges 59.9% of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH; ) radicals when used at a concentration of 7 μg/ml. Malabaricone C is active against S. aureus, B. subtilis, and C. albicans in vitro (MICs = 2-32 μg/ml). It is cytotoxic to A549, HL-60, and MCF-7 cells (IC50s = 12.3, 46.1, and 10.8 μM, respectively). Malabaricone C inhibits sphingomyelin synthase 1 (SMS1) and SMS2 activity in cell lysates (IC50s = 3 and 1.5 μM, respectively). It decreases body weight gain, hepatic steatosis, and hepatic and plasma triglyceride levels in a mouse model of high-fat diet-induced obesity when administered at a dose of 0.1% in the diet.
