Structure of Arcapillin, an Antihepatotoxic Principle of Artemisia capillaris Herbs

ustract -In view of the obeervatmn that a methanol extract of Artemisia capillaris herbs has s h o w mtense suppressive activity m carbon tetrachloride-~nduced h v e r les~on in mlce, the extract has been fractionated by monitormg the hepatorox~c acriv~ty to furnish the known flavonol.eupatolitin 11111, and a new flavone, arcaplllin, as the l~ver-protective pr~nc~ples.The structure of arcapillin has been elucidated as that represented by formula I on the basis of chemical and phys~cal data.The crude drug "lnchmkZ", the aerial part of arternls~a caplllarls Thunberg ICompositaeI, has been s a d to have choleret~c and liver-protective effects and ut~lzzed as a remedy for hepatlt~s in Orlental medlclne.From this crude drug, a number of terpenoids, acids, polyenynes, phenols.2 coumarins, chromones and flavonoids have been isolated.among these constituents, capillarisin and 6,7-d1methylesculetln~ were reported to show choleretic activity.No liver-protective principles, however, have been reported.During the course of our suney for llver-protect~ve principles in crude drugs, we found that methanol extracts of t h ~s crude drug exhib~ted ant~heparotoxlc activity in carbon tetrachlorideinduced liver lesion in m ~c e although its potency varied renarkably depending on lots.41 1 L i v e r -p r o t e c t i v e drugs.P a r t 5 .Thrs paper a l s o forms P a r t 42 i n t h e serles on t h e v a l l d l t y O f t h e Orlenial medrcines.