Constituents, biological activities and quality control parameters of the crude extract and essential oil from Arracacia tolucensis var. multifida.

Bioassay guided fractionation of an antimycobacterial extract of Arracacia tolucensis var. multifida (Umbelliferae) led to the isolation of isoimperatorin (1), osthol (2), suberosin (3), 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) (4), herniarin (5), scoparone (6), umbelliferone (7), dihydroxypeucedanin (8), 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP) (9), isoscopoletin (10) and scopoletin (11). The isolates were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and only 1-4 showed significant activity with MIC values of 64, 32, 16 and 128 microg/mL, respectively. The essential oil showed moderate in vitro antibacterial activity against representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The volatile oil of Arracacia tolucensis var. multifida was analyzed by GC-MS and found to be composed mainly by 2 and 3. The essential oil (IC(50)=116.4+/-23.2 microg/mL) and the extract (IC(50)=1153.1+/-53.2 microg/mL) of the plant provoked concentration dependent inhibition of the tone and amplitude of the guinea-pig ileum spontaneous contractions; the latter activity was related with the high coumarin content of this species. A suitable (novel and rapid) HPLC method to quantify the major active coumarins of the plant was developed. The method provides also a reproducible fingerprint useful for identity tests of this plant.