Alloisoimperatorin

Arch Pharm Res. 2006 Sep;29(9):741-5.

Estrogenic activity of furanocoumarins isolated from Angelica dahurica.[Pubmed: 17024846]

METHODS AND RESULTS:
In our efforts to discover novel phytoestrogens to treat menopausal symptoms, eleven furanocoumarins were isolated from Angelica dahurica and tested for their estrogenic activity on the Ishikawa cell line. Among the compounds tested, 9-hydroxy-4-methoxypsoralen and Alloisoimperatorin showed strong abilities to induce alkaline phosphatase (AP) with EC50 values of 1.1 and 0.8 microg/mL, respectively, whereas the other nine furanocoumarins were weakly or only slightly active.

J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Aug;93(2-3):243-6.

Antioxidative activity of furanocoumarins isolated from Angelicae dahuricae.[Pubmed: 15234759 ]

METHODS AND RESULTS:
The methylene chloride extract of the root of Angelicae dahuricae showed high protective activity against 2,2'-azobis (2-aminodinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced cellular damage. From this extract, 11 furanocoumarins were isolated, namely oxypeucedanin hydrate, 9-hydroxy-4-methoxypsoralen, byakangelicin, pabulenol, Alloisoimperatorin, neobyakangelicol, byakangelicol, oxypeucedanin, imperatorin, phellotorin and isoimperatorin, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS:
Among these 11 furanocoumarins, 9-hydroxy-4-methoxypsoralen and Alloisoimperatorin displayed potent antioxidant effects against the DPPH radical and against renal epithelial cell injury by using AAPH to generate peroxyl radicals in vitro.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:937370.

Acetylshikonin, a Novel AChE Inhibitor, Inhibits Apoptosis via Upregulation of Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression in SH-SY5Y Cells.[Pubmed: 24302971]

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are prominent alternative in current clinical treatment for AD patients. Therefore, there is a continued need to search for novel AChEIs with good clinical efficacy and less side effects.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
By using our in-house natural product database and AutoDock Vina as a tool in docking study, we have identified twelve phytochemicals (emodin, aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, and rhein in Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma; xanthotoxin, phellopterin, Alloisoimperatorin, and imperatorin in Angelicae dahuricae Radix; shikonin, acetylshikonin, isovalerylshikonin, and β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin in Arnebiae Radix) as candidates of AChEIs that were not previously reported in the literature. In addition to AChEI activity, a series of cell-based experiments were conducted for the investigation of their neuroprotective activities. We found that acetylshikonin and its derivatives prevented apoptotic cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide in human and rat neuronal SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells at 10 μM.
CONCLUSIONS:
We showed that acetylshikonin exhibited the most potent antiapoptosis activity through the inhibition of the generation of reactive oxygen species as well as protection of the loss of mitochondria membrane potential. Furthermore, we identified for the first time that the upregulation of heme oxygenase 1 by acetylshikonin is a key step mediating its antiapoptotic activity from oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells.