Powerful hepatoprotective and hepatotoxic plant oligostilbenes, isolated from the Oriental medicinal plant Vitis coignetiae (Vitaceae).

The methanol extract of the Oriental medicinal plant Vitis coignetiae (Vitaceae) showed hepatoprotective activity in the in vitro assay method using primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Activity-guided fractionation of the extract afforded epsilon-viniferin as an active principle. The protective effect of epsilon-viniferin against mice carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury in mice was shown by serum enzyme assay as well as by pathological examination. In addition to epsilon-viniferin, plant oligostilbenes, ampelopsins A, C, F and the mixture of vitisin A and cis-vitisin A were also present in the extract. Among them, ampelopsin C and the mixture of vitisin A and cis-vitisin A were found to be powerful hepatotoxins.