Isolation of dillapiol from a chemotype of Perilla frutescens as an active principle for prolonging hexobarbital-induced sleep.

The effects of MeOH extracts from six distinct chemotypes of Perilla frutescens, which differ in the main components of the essential oils, on the prolongation of hexobarbital-induced sleep in mice were examined. Dillapiol, 1-allyl-2, 3-dimethoxyl-4, 5-(methylenedioxy)-benzene, was isolated from the MeOH extract of the chemotype PP-DM as an active principe (ED50=1.57 mg/kg).