title: Superoxide anion scavenging effect of coumarins.
abstract: The superoxide scavenging effects of fifteen coumarins were tested on the xanthine-xanthine oxidase-cytochrome C system. The results showed that fraxetin(10) displayed the strongest activity, and its percent inhibition at 100, 10 and 1 muM were 100, 100 and 53.13% respectively. Esculetin(4) showed the second strongest activity resulting in percent inhibition at 100 and 10 muM were 87.16 and 52.38% respectively. Both fraxetin(10) and esculetin(4) have been isolated from the plant, Fraxinus bungeana DC (Oleaceae) which has been used in folk medicine as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory medicine. It seems that two phenolic hydroxy groups in the ortho position in the molecule of coumarins play an important role in scavenging activity.
authors: School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: W S
authors: WS
authors: Chang
authors: C C
authors: CC
authors: Lin
authors: S C
authors: SC
authors: Chuang
authors: H C
authors: HC
authors: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000838:Anions / Q000737:chemistry*; D003374:Coumarins / Q000737:chemistry*; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D013481:Superoxides / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D003374:Coumarins; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D013481:Superoxides