Santolindiacetylene, a polyacetylene derivative isolated from the essential oil of Santolina canescens.

The yield, composition, and some pharmacological activities (hepatoprotective and antioxidant) of the essential oil of Santolina canescens aerial parts have been investigated. The essential oil qualitative data were determined by gc and gc-ms. The main component, santolindiacetylene [1], was isolated and characterized by spectral methods, and the structure assigned as 1-(2'-naphthyl)hexa-2,4-diyne. The protective activities of the essential oil and its main component [1] were evaluated against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in a rat model. In both cases a significant hepatoprotective effect was observed, as evident from the strong decrease of elevated GPT serum levels caused by carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic damage.