Phthalide compounds from the roots of Angelica sinensis and their blood-replenishing bioactivities.

To investigate the blood-replenishing constituents from the roots of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. The components were separated and purified by various chromatographic methods, and identified by physicochemical characterization and spectral data. The nitric oxide (NO) inhibition rate and mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α in LPS-induced RAW264.7 were detected by Griess method and RT-qPCR assays, respectively. The hemoglobin expression promotion rate in K562 cells was evaluated by benzidine staining method. Three new phthalide compounds (1-3), named as 7-(2-butyrylbenzoyl)senkyunolide I, 2-propyl-6,7-dioxolanesenkyunolide H, 6',7'-dicarboxyl-wallichilide, were isolated from root of A. sinensis together with 45 known compounds (4-48). Among them, the IC50 values for NO inhibition of 7-(2-butyrylbenzoyl)senkyunolide I (1), 7-acetylsenkyunolide H (5), angeolide (25), ligustchuane B (33) and dibutyl phthalate (36) were 3.43 μM, 3.77 μM, 3.92 μM, 3.23 μM and 3.93 μM, respectively. Ferulic acid (28), 4,8-dihydroxyacetophenone (38) and vanillic acid (48) showed good hemoglobin-promoting effects, with the promotion rate of 40.6 %, 33.4 %, and 37.8 %, respectively. Thus, A. sinensis exhibited the blood-replenishing bioactivities through a synergistic effect with phthalide and ferulic acid derivatives.