Oshima Y, Namao K, Kamijou A, Matsuoka S, Nakano M, Terao K, Ohizumi Y
Department of Pharmaceutical Molecular Biology, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Experientia. 1995 Jan 15;51(1):63-6. doi: 10.1007/BF01964921.
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.
