摘要：Melanogenesis stimulation activities of seven ethanolic extracts obtained from Umbelliferae plants used as Chinese crude drugs, namely the roots of Angelica dahurica B ENTH . et H OOK ., A. biserrata S HEN et Y UAN , Notopterygium incisum T ING , Heracleum lanatum M ICHX ., and H. candicans W ALL ., and the fruits of Cinidium monnieri (L.) C USSON and C. formosanum Y ABE , were examined by using cultured murine B16 melanoma cells. Among them, the extract (5, 25 μg/ml) of H. lanatum showed a potent stimulatory effect on melanogenesis with significant enhancement of cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The melanogenesis stimulatory effects of sixteen coumarins (1—16) isolated from the seven Umbelliferae crude drugs were also examined. Among them, linear-furocoumarins [psoralen (1), xanthotoxin (2), bergapten (3), and isopimpinellin (4)] and angular-furocoumarin [sphondin (13)] exhibited potent melanogenesis stimulation activity. From the view point of structure–activity relationships, it may be assumed that a linear-furocoumarin ring having a hydrogen and/or methoxyl group at 5 and 8 positions such as 1, 2, 3 and 4 was preferable for the melanogenesis stimulation activity. The introduction of a prenyl group into the furocoumarin ring was disadvantageous. Coumarin derivatives having a simple coumarin ring were inactive.
关键词：Umbelliferae plant;Heracleum lanatum;coumarin;murine B16 melanoma cell;stimulatory effect on melanogenesis
