Isolation of Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitor from Persicaria vulgaris.

In the course of our search for Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitors from natural sources, a new type of ACAT inhibitor was isolated from the methanol extract of Persicaria vulgaris. On the basis of spectral evidence, the structure of the active compound was identified as pheophorbide A. Pheophorbide A inhibited ACAT activity with an IC 50 value of 1.1 microg/ml in an enzyme assay using rat liver microsomes with a dose dependent fashion.