Antiasthmatic acetophenones - an in vivo study on structure activity relationship.

The recently isolated acetophenone glucoside androsin, as the major antiasthmatic principle of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. (Scrophulariaceae), was used as a lead compound for detailed structure-activity relationship studies. More than 25 synthesized or commercially available acetophenones with modified substitution patterns were screened in the Plethysmographic guinea pig model using PAF and/or ovalbumin as challenging agents for the generation of bronchial constriction.

Wedelolactone and coumestan derivatives as new antihepatotoxic and antiphlogistic principles.

For the study of structure-activity relationships, the antihepatotoxic wedelolactone (7-methoxy-5,11,12-trihydroxy-coumestan) and 6 coumestan derivatives were synthesized by the application of a modified method of Wanzlich. An evaluation of the biological characteristics of the synthetic compounds and acuminatin from Musa acuminata showed that most of the wedelolactone derivatives significantly protected primary cultured liver cells from the toxicity of CCl4, galactosamine (Galc), and phalloidin, and strongly inhibited the activity of 5-lipoxygenase in porcine leukocytes. The hepatocyte protective activity was dependent on the C-7 substitution with pharmacological efficacy decreasing in the following order: EtO greater than MeO greater than OH greater than CH3(CH2)9.