Sauchinone is a lignan first isolated from the aerial parts of S. chinensis, a plant used in Asian medicine for its anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-nociceptive activities. Sauchinone has numerous effects on isolated cells, including blocking NF-κB activation in LPS-stimulated macrophages, inducing heme oxygenase-1 transcription in endothelial cells, and attenuating oxidative-stress-induced damage in myoblasts. Sauchinone is extensively metabolized in vivo, but intraperitoneal administration significantly reduces myocardial infarct size induced by ischemia/reperfusion in mice.
