brotic (+)-Episesamin Isolated from Lindera obtusiloba BLUME

In traditional Korean medicine, an aqueous extract of the plant Lindera obtusiloba has been used for centuries to treat infl ammation, improve blood circulation, and prevent liver damage (Yook, 1989). Recently, we demonstrated antifi brotic, antioxidative, anti-infl ammatory, and antiadipogenic activity of this extract (Rühl et al., 2009; Freise et al., 2009). Freise et al. (2011) documented that the L. obtusiloba extract suppresses growth and attenuates insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor signaling and NF-B activity in human liver cancer cell lines. The aim of the present study was to isolate biologically active compounds from the L. obtusiloba extract and elucidate their absolute confi guration. Here, for the fi rst time, we report the isolation and identifi cation of the absolute confi guration of (+)-episesamin [(+)–1] from the L. obtusiloba extract. By applying (+)-episesamin in in vitro bioassays with activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC), the main target cell in the fi brotic liver (Rühl et al., 2009), we suggest (+)–1 to be an active antifi brotic principle of the extract.