Calycopterin, an immunoinhibitory compound from the extract of Dracocephalum kotschyi

Medicinal plants have been widely investigated for their various effects. Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss (Labiatae) is used in Iranian traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid diseases. The inhibitory effect of D. kotschyi on the lectin-induced cellular immune response has been demonstrated previously. In this study, mitogen-treated lymphocytes were exposed to the extract of D. kotschyi and analysed for the induction of apoptosis using flow cytometry and gel electrophoresis. The data obtained indicated a dose-dependent increase of cells in the sub-G1 phase of cell cycle. Study of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation showed a typical DNA laddering in agarose gels. A bioactivity-guided fractionation assay to find the active components responsible for the inhibitory effect of D. kotschyi on mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation led to the isolation of calycopterin from the ethyl acetate extract of D. kotschyi. Its structure was identified by spectroscopic methods including H-1-NMR, C-13-NMR, MS and UV spectra. Calycopterin inhibited lymphocyte proliferation in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 1.7 mu g/mL. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that D. kotschyi extract has the capacity to induce apoptosis in the lymphocytes and that isolated calycopterin is responsible for the inhibitory effect of A kotschyi on lymphocyte proliferation. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.