Phytochemical investigation on the aerial parts of Veratrum versicolor f. viride Nakai and their biological activities

Abstract

Veratrum spp. have traditionally been used in folk medicine to treat various pathologies. In this study, nine compounds, comprising one simple phenolic compound ( 1 ), three stilbenoids ( 2 – 4 ), and five flavonoids ( 5 – 9 ), were isolated from the aerial parts of Veratrum versicolor f. viride Nakai. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses and comparison with reported data. Together, all reported compounds were isolated from V. versicolor f. viride for the first time in the study. Among them, two flavone aglycone tricetins ( 7 and 9 ) have never been isolated from the genus Veratrum or the family Melanthiaceae. The ethanol extract and isolated compounds were assessed for their inhibitory effects on elastase, tyrosinase, and melanin synthesis. Compounds 5 and 7 inhibited elastase (IC 50 : 292.25 ± 14.39 and 800.41 ± 5.86 μM, respectively), whereas compounds 2 – 5 inhibited tyrosinase with IC 50 values in the range of 6.42 ~ 51.19 μM, respectively. In addition, compounds 3 – 6 and 8 exhibited dose-dependent inhibition (70.4% ~ 91.0%) of melanogenesis at a concentration of 100 μM.