Coprosterol (also known as a coprostanol) is a byproduct of cholesterol found in human feces. It was shown, that microbiota-mediated transformation of fecal cholesterol to coprostanol may enhance resistance to C. difficile infection. This can be achieved by altering toxin entry and decreasing the availability of cholesterol substrates for primary bile acids generation. Clostridium difficile infection is characterized by dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota and a profound derangement in the fecal metabolome. It has been suggested that a high efficiency of cholesterol to coprostanol metabolism may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and low rates of cholesterol to coprostanol conversion have been implicated in the progression of ulcerative colitis.

Catalposide is a compound isolated from irinoid-producing plant Catalpa ovata. Catalposide has been shown to possess anti-microbial, anti-tumoral, and anti-inflammatory properties. was found to inhibit the productions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- alpha), interleukin-1beta, and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the activation of nuclear factor kB (NF-kB) in RAW 264.7 macrophages activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).