Hepatoprotective and nitric oxide production inhibitory activities of coumarin and polyacetylene constituents from the roots of Angelica furcijuga.

The methanolic extract from the roots of Angelica furcijuga KITAGAWA was found to exhibit protective effects on liver injury induced by D-galactosamine (D-GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). From the methanolic extract, seventeen coumarins, two phenylpropanoids, and two polyacetylenes were isolated and examined their in vitro and in vivo hepatoprotective effects and inhibitory activity of NO production in macrophages. A acylated khellactone, isoepoxypteryxin, showed protective activity against D-GalN-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. On the other hand, six acylated khellactones (hyuganins A, B, C, and D, anomalin, isopteryxin) and two polyacetylenes [(-)-falcarinol and falcarindiol] strongly inhibited NO production induced by LPS in cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages, and also other acylated khellactones (isoepoxypteryxin, pteryxin, and suksdorfin) and a coumarin glycosides (praeroside II) were found to show the activity. By comparison of the inhibitory activities for acylated khellactones with those for other coumarins, acyl groups were found to be essential to exerting potent activity.