No abstract

As part of our screening of antiviral agents from medicinal plants, 11 compounds from plant origin (Bupleurum rigidum and Scrophularia scorodonia), three saikosaponins, seven iridoids and one phenylpropanoid glycoside were tested in vitro against herpes simplex type I (HSV-1), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and poliovirus type 1. Five of these compounds showed antiviral activity against VSV. The percentages of cellular viability at the non-toxic limit concentrations of the active compounds were: verbascoside 53.6 % at 500 microg/ml, 8-acetylharpagide 32.1 % at 500 microg/ml, harpagoside 43.3 % at 450 microg/ml, scorodioside 47.8 % at 500 microg/ml and buddlejasaponin IV 56.9 % at 25 microg/ml. Although none of the saikosaponins were active against HSV-1, the iridoid scorodioside showed moderate in vitro anti-HSV-1 activity (30.6 % at 500 microg/ml). However, none of the compounds tested in this survey had any effect against poliovirus.

Scrophularia species have been used since ancient times as folk remedies for some medical treatments including scrophula, scabies, tumours and inflammatory affections. Some compounds isolated from these species, such as iridoids and phenylpropanoids, are considered responsibles for these activities. This review summarizes mainly the biological activity associated with this genus.

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of verbascoside and an analytical study of iridoids and others phenylpropanoids in Scrophularia scorodonia L. is reported and validated. The method is applied for the analysis of stem, leaf, and flower extracts. The results showed that verbascoside represents 1.25% in leaf extracts.

A new phenylpropanoid glycoside isoangoroside C was isolated from the roots of Scrophularia scorodonia. Its structure was determined on the basis of spectral data as: 3-hydroxy- 4-methoxy-β-phenylethoxy-O-α-ʟ-arabinopyranosyl-(1→6)α ʟ-rhamnopyranosyl-(l→3)-4-O- Z-feruloyl-β-ᴅ -glucopyranoside. Additionally, one known phenylpropanoid, angoroside C, and five known iridoid glycosides, harpagoside, bartsioside, 8-O-acetyl-harpagide, aucuboside and harpagide were isolated and identified.