Deciphering the effective substances of mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius Linn. against liver injury

The mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius Linn. has been recorded to treat liver injury diseases, but its active ingredients are unclear. In the present study, chemical compounds in the ethanol extract of A. ilicifolius were isolated, and their anti-liver injury, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities were evaluated to decipher the effective substances. In total, 42 compounds (1-42) were obtained, including two new naphthalene compounds (1-2). Moreover, the anti-liver injury, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities of compounds were evaluated. In CCl4-induced HepG2 cellular model, compound 33 showed significant anti-liver injury activity at 50, 25, 12.5 and 6.25 μM, while 1, 9, 13-16, 33 showed significant activity at 50 and 25 μM. Overall, naphthalenes (1-2), phenylethanoid glycosides (12-16), alkaloid (3), flavonoid (9) and lignin (33) could be the main effective substances in A. ilicifolius against liver injury.