Inhibitory Effects of the Extract of Rhus verniciflua Stokes on the Reverse Transcriptase of AIDS

Abstract

Four olefinic catechols, commonly referred to as urushiol were isolated from the sap of Korean Rhus verniciflua Stokes and had the stronger inhibitory effects on the reverse transcriptase of AIDS. The hexane extract with a inhibitory effects on reverse transcriptase was purified by silica and ODS gel column chronatography. The active compounds were identified by MS and ¹H-NMR as 3-[8'(Z), 11'(Z), 14'-pentadecatrienyl]catechol, 3-[8'(Z), 11'(Z)-pentadecadienyl]catechol, 3-[8' (Z)-penta- decenyl]catechol, and 3-pentadecylcatechol. All of these compounds showed strong inhibitory effects on reverse transcriptase of AIDS, in which 3-pentadecylcatechol exhibited the highest activity(IC50 : 10.87 ㎍/ml).