Wound healing activity of acylated iridoid glycosides from Scrophularia nodosa

Three acylated iridoid glycosides (E)‐6‐O‐(2″, 4″‐diacetyl‐3″ ‐O‐p‐methoxycinnamoyl)‐α‐L‐rhamnopyranosyl catalpol (scopolioside A) (1), (E)‐6‐O‐(2″‐acetyl‐3″, 4″‐di‐O,O‐p‐methoxycinnamoyl)‐α‐L‐rhamnopyranosyl catalpol (scrophuloside A4) (2) and (E)‐6‐O‐(2″,3″‐diacetyl‐4″‐O‐p‐methoxycinnamoyl)‐α‐L‐rhamnopyranosyl catalpol (scrovalentinoside) (3) have been isolated from the dried seed pods of Scrophularia nodosa by HPLC. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR, UV/Vis and mass spectroscopy and by comparison with published data. All three compounds were shown in vitro to stimulate the growth of human dermal fibroblasts. The effect was negatively dose‐dependent for 2 and 3 for which fibroblast growth stimulation was highest at 0.78 μg/mL but was not significantly different from the control at 100 μg/mL. The presence of these compounds in the mature seed pods may explain the ethnobotanical use of this plant in Europe for healing wounds. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.