New Coumarin Derivative and Bioactive Constituents from the fruits of Cnidium monnieri

Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson (Apiaceae)1 is a crude drug „Fructus Cnidii“ (Chinese name Shechaungzi) used in traditional Chinese to treat impotence, frigidity, and skin-related disease. Coumarins, chromones, and their derivatives were isolated from this plant in previous studies. Many of these compounds were found to exhibit insecticidal, antiallergic, antifungal, and antibacterial activities. Investigation on EtOAc-soluble fraction of the fruits of C. monnieri has led to the isolation of a new coumarin, 3'-O-methylmurraol (1), together with 12 known compounds, including 11 coumarins, meranzin hydrate (2), peroxyauraptenol (3), auraptenol (4), demethylauraptenol (5), peroxymurraol (6), murraol (7), osthol (8), bergapten (9), isopimpinellin (10), xanthotoxin (11), and xanthotoxol (12), and a chromone, cnidimol A (13). The structure of new compound 1 was determined through spectroscopic and MS analyses. Among the isolates, osthol (8) completely inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation at 100µg/mL. Xanthotoxin (11) showed complete inhibitory activity on platelet aggregation at 100µg/mL induced by arachidonic acid.

Figure 1: Structure of new compound 1

Acknowledgement: This research was supported by grants from the National Science Council of the Republic of China (NSC 95–2320-B-127–001-MY3 and NSC 98–2320-B-127–001-MY3), awarded to Prof. J.-J. Chen.

References: 1. Sheh ML et al. (2005) 'Apiaceae' in 'Flora of China', Science Press, Beijing, China. Vol. 14, pp. 1–205.