Evaluation of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipoxygenase inhibitory activities of the prenylated coumarin umbelliprenin

Umbelliprenin, the natural prenylated coumarin distributed in the plants of apiaceae family, has shown various biological activities, especially as a cancer chemopreventive agent. In the present study, umbelliprenin, was examined for in vitro antioxidant activity, in vitro inhibitory activity against lipoxygenase, and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity. The applied tests were interaction with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) stable free radical, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, inhibition of soybean lipoxygenase and in vivo inhibition of the carrageenin-induced rat paw edema. Umbelliprenin did not show any significant antioxidant activity but exhibited a remarkable and potent inhibition against soybean lipoxygenase (IC50 = 0.0725 μM). This compound, in the in vivo anti-inflammatory test, could also inhibit the carrageenin induced paw edema significantly (39 %). The observed inhibition of lipoxygenase may be a plausible mechanism for the potent cancer chemopreventive activity of umbelliprenin and may pose this compound as a valuable agent for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.