AMPELOPSIN-D, AMPELOPSIN-E, AMPELOPSIN-H AND CIS-AMPELOPSIN-E, OLIGOSTILBENES FROM AMPELOPSIS-BREVIPEDUNCULATA VAR HANCEI ROOTS

The methanol extract of the roots of Ampelopsis brevipedunculata var. hancei exhibited marked protective activity against carbon tetrachlori de and D-galactosamine-induced liver damage in primary cultured rat he patocytes. The extract was fractionated by monitoring the activity to give active fractions from which four novel oxidative oligostilbenes, ampelopsins D, E, H and cis-ampelopsin E, were isolated in addition to the known compounds, (-)-epicatechin, pallidol, miyabenol C, piceid, cis-piceid and resveratroloside. The structures of the new stilbene de rivatives have been established on the basis of spectroscopic evidence and chemical reactions. Among them, ampelopsin E and cis-ampelopsin E showed antihepatotoxic activity.