Liver-protective actions of desoxypodophyllotoxin and its analogs

Effects on CCl(4)-induced liver lesion in mice and on D-galactosamine-induced liver lesion in rats of desoxypodophyllotoxin (1) and its analogs, podophyllotoxin (2), podophyllotoxon (3), beta-peltatin (4), alpha-peltatin (5), 4'-demethylpodophyllotoxin (6) and picropodophyllin (7), were investigated. 1 and 7 in CCl(4)-induced liver lesion and 1,4,5, and 6 in D-galactosamine-induced liver lesion have shown marked protective actions. These results suggest that these analogs have liver-protective actions in general and the substituents at C-4 in ring C, C-5 in ring B and C-4' in ring E, and the configuration at C-2 in ring C are important for the revelation of the activity.