Deciphering the effective substances of mangrove plant <i>Acanthus ilicifolius</i> Linn. against liver injury

The mangrove plant <i>Acanthus ilicifolius</i> Linn. has been recorded to treat liver injury diseases, but its active ingredients are unclear. In the present study, chemical compounds in the ethanol extract of <i>A. ilicifolius</i> were isolated, and their anti-liver injury, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities were evaluated to decipher the effective substances. In total, 42 compounds (<b>1-42</b>) were obtained, including two new naphthalene compounds (<b>1-2</b>). Moreover, the anti-liver injury, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities of compounds were evaluated. In CCl₄-induced HepG2 cellular model, compound <b>33</b> showed significant anti-liver injury activity at 50, 25, 12.5 and 6.25 μM, while <b>1</b>, <b>9</b>, <b>13-16</b>, <b>33</b> showed significant activity at 50 and 25 μM. Overall, naphthalenes (<b>1-2</b>), phenylethanoid glycosides (<b>12-16</b>), alkaloid (<b>3</b>), flavonoid (<b>9</b>) and lignin (<b>33</b>) could be the main effective substances in <i>A. ilicifolius</i> against liver injury.