Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity of coumarins from Seseli gummiferum subsp. corymbosum (Apiaceae).

n-Hexane and ethyl acetate extracts as well as coumarin derivatives obtained from the n-hexane extract of the aerial parts of Seseli gummiferum Pall. ex Sm. subsp. corymbosum (Boiss. & Heldr.) P.H. Davis (Apiaceae) were evaluated in vivo for their anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities. The n-hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of the species were shown to possess significant inhibitory activity against the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema and p-benzoquinone-induced writhing models in mice. Among the isolated coumarin derivatives; (-)-(3'S,4'S)-3'-acetoxy-4'-isovaleryloxy-3',4'-dihydroseselin (1), (-)-(3'S,4'S)-3'-acetoxy-4'-angeloyloxy-3',4'-dihydroseselin (2), (+)-(3'S,4'S)-3'-hydroxy-4'-angeloyloxy-3',4'-dihydroseselin (D-laserpitin) (3), (-)-(3'S,4'S)-3'-angeloyloxy-4'-hydroxy-3',4'-dihydroseselin (4), and osthole (5), only the 3'-acetoxy derivatives 1 and 2 were found to possess potent antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, per os, without inducing any apparent acute toxicity as well as gastric damage, while all other compounds and extracts were found to be ineffective in the TPA-induced mouse ear edema model assay.