Cytotoxic phenylpropanoids from carrot.

Carrot is widely used as a foodstuff. The active components such as beta-carotene and panaxynol have been studied by many researchers. In this investigation of nonpolar active components from carrot, a new phenylpropanoid, epilaserine oxide ( 3), was isolated along with six known compounds, laserine ( 1), 2-epilaserine ( 2), panaxynol ( 4), ginsenoyne K ( 5), (8 E)-1,8-heptadecadiene-4,6-diyne-3,10-diol ( 6), and vaginatin ( 7). Their structures were deduced on the basis of spectroscopic methods. Significant cytotoxicity of 2-epilaserine against HL-60 cells was observed, which implied that phenylpropanoids were cytotoxic compounds in carrot. Laserine and 2-epilaserine in carrots from diverse locations in China were quantified by HPLC.