Phenolic glycosides of Juncus acutus and its anti-eczematic activity

The total alcohol extract of Juncus acutus L. showed significant anti-eczematic activity. The isolation of the five phenolic glycosides which responsible for this activity were isolated and identified as oxyresveratrol 2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), resveratrol 3′,4′-O,O′-di-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), markhamioside F (3), canthoside B (4), and caffeic acid glucorhamnoside (5). The toxic effect of the alcohol extract of the plant was studied on mice to determine their LD₅₀, which proved to be nontoxic up to 3000 mg/kg body weight. The anti-eczematic activity of the isolated compounds was tested in mice and showed variable effect. Compounds 3 and 4 were found to have the highest activity; they cured eczema by 90 and 100% respectively. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 125–127, March–April, 2006.