Imperatorin, a furanocoumarin derivative, has many documented pharmacological properties which make it a candidate for possible drug development. In this review, the activity on the central nervous system, the anticancer and antiviral properties and the influence on the cardiovascular system are described. The aim of this review is also to present an overview of the techniques used for the analysis, isolation, and separation of imperatorin from plant material from the practical perspective.

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Naturally occurring coumarins are a group of compounds with many documented central nervous system (CNS) activities. However, dihydrofuranocoumarins have been infrequently investigated for their bioactivities at CNS level. Within the frame of this study, an efficient liquid–liquid chromatography method was developed to rapidly isolate rutamarin from Ruta graveolens L. (Rutaceae) dichloromethane extract (DCM). The crude DCM (9.78 mg/mL) and rutamarin (6.17 M) were found to be effective inhibitors of human monoamine oxidase B (hMAO-B) with inhibition percentages of 89.98% and 95.26%, respectively. The inhibitory activity against human monoamine oxidase A (hMAO-A) for the DCM extract was almost the same (88.22%). However, for rutamarin, it significantly dropped to 25.15%. To examine the molecular interaction of rutamarin with hMAO- B, an in silico evaluation was implemented. A docking study was performed for the two enantiomers (R)-rutamarin and (S)-rutamarin. The (S)-rutamarin was found to bind stronger to the hMAO-B binging cavity.

Background The aim of this study is to preliminary evaluate the antiparkinsonian activity of furanocoumarin—xanthotoxin, in two behavioral animal models, zebrafish larvae treated with 6-hydroxydopamine and mice treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine in order to compare both models. Methods Xanthotoxin was isolated from Pastinaca sativa L. (Apiaceae) fruits. Then, the compound was administered by immersion to zebrafish 5 days after fertilization (dpf) larvae or intraperitoneally to male Swiss mice, as a potential therapeutic agent against locomotor impairments. Results Acute xanthotoxin administration at the concentration of 7.5 µM reversed locomotor activity impairments in 5-dpf zebrafish larvae. In mice model, acute xanthotoxin administration alleviated movement impairments at the concentration of 25 mg/kg. Conclusions The similar activity of the same substance in two different animal models indicates their compatibility and proves the potential of in vivo bioassays based on zebrafish models. Results of our study indicate that xanthotoxin may be considered as a potential lead compound in the discovery of antiparkinsonian drugs.

Coumarins are a well-known group of plant secondary metabolites with various pharmacological activities, including antiseizure activity. In the search for new antiseizure drugs (ASDs) to treat epilepsy, it is yet unclear which types of coumarins are particularly interesting as a systematic analysis has not been reported. The current study performed behavioral antiseizure activity screening of 18 different coumarin derivatives in the larval zebrafish pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) model using locomotor measurements. Activity was confirmed for seven compounds, which lowered seizure-like behavior as follows: oxypeucedanin 38%, oxypeucedanin hydrate 74%, notopterol 54%, nodakenetin 29%, hyuganin C 35%, daphnoretin 65%, and pimpinellin 60%. These coumarins, together with nodakenin, underwent further antiepileptiform analysis by local field potential recordings from the zebrafish opticum tectum (midbrain). All of them, except for nodakenetin, showed pronounced antiepileptiform activity, decreasing PTZ-induced elevation in power spectral density (PSD) by 83–89% for oxypeucedanin, oxypeucedanin hydrate, and notopterol, 77% for nodakenin, 26% for nodakenetin, 65% for hyuganin C, 88% for daphnoretin, and 81% for pimpinellin. These data demonstrate the potential of diverse coumarin scaffolds for ASD discovery. Finally, the structural differences between active and inactive coumarins were investigated in silico for oxypeucedanin hydrate and byacangelicin for their interaction with GABA-transaminase, a hypothetical target.

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For the first time, rare major and minor compounds from fruits of Peucedanum cervaria were isolated. High-performance countercurrent chromatography with two different solvent systems, heptane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (3:2:3:2 and 2:1:2:1, v/v), was successfully used in the reversed-phase mode. A scale-up process from analytical to semipreparative in a very short time was developed. The structures of isolated compounds were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, and one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. (8S,9R)-9-(3-Methylbutenoyloxy)-O-acetyl-8,9-dihydrooroselol (compound B), (8S,9R)-9-(2-methyl-Z-butenoyloxy)-O-acetyl-8,9-dihydrooroselol (edultin, compound C), and (8S,9R)-9-acetoxy-O-(2α-methylbutyryl)-8,9-dihydrooroselol (compound D) were obtained using heptane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (2:1:2:1, v/v) in <40 min. The method yielded 4.6 mg of a mixture of compounds B and C (11:89) and 3.7 mg of compound D. These amounts were obtained from the crude extract (0.5 g) in a single run. Although the compounds are known, their isolation by countercurrent chromatography and the analysis of their relative stereochemistry by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy have been performed for the first time. Additionally, heptane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (3:2:3:2, v/v) led to the isolation of oxypeucedanin (1.2 mg; compound A). This is the first time that angular dihydrofuranocoumarin was isolated from plant extract by countercurrent chromatography.