PURPOSE The objective of this study was to evaluate the relaxant effect of scoparone from Artemisia capillaris on rabbit penile corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (PCCSM) and to elucidate the mechanism of action of scoparone for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS PCCSM that had been precontracted with phenylephrine was treated with 3 Artemisia herbs (A. princeps, A...

Eicosanoids modulate the interaction of tumor cells with various host components in cancer metastasis. Their synthesis involves the release of arachidonic acid (AA) from cellular phospholipids by phospholipase A2 (PLA2), followed by metabolism by cyclooxygenases (COXs) and lipooxygenases (LOXs). This study aimed to identify the pathway(s) of AA metabolism that are required for the invasion of p...

Phytochemical investigations of chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts from the aerial parts of Warionia saharae Benth. & Coss. from Algeria resulted in the isolation of ten known compounds: β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, scopoletin, cirsimaritin, chrysoeriol, hispidulin, luteolin, esculetin, (2R,3R) taxifolin, quercetin. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic anal...

Esculetin (ESC) is a coumarin that is present in several plants such as Fraxinus rhynchophylla and Artemisia capillaris. Our previous study found that FR ethanol extract (FR(EtOH)) significantly ameliorated rats' liver function. This study was intended to investigate the protective mechanism of ESC in hepatic apoptosis in rats induced by carbon tetrachloride. Rat hepatic apoptosis was induced b...

Coumarins are classified as a member of the benzopyrone family. all of which consist of a benzene ring joined to a pyrone ring. The benzopyrones can be subdivided into the benzoalfa-pyrones to which the coumarins belong and the benzo-gama-pyrones, of which the flavonoids are principal members. Umbelliferone, esculetin and scopoletin are the most widespread coumarins in nature. During the synthe...

One new sesquiterpene and six known compounds were isolated from Dryopteris fragrans (L.) Schot. They were identified as 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosylalbicanol- 11-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), dihydroconiferylalcohol (2), (E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acrylic acid (3), esculetin (4), 5,7-dihydroxy-2-hydroxymethylchromone (5), eriodictyol (6) and isoorientin (7) by UV, MS, 1D-NMR and 2D-NMR spectroscopy. The an...