Linear furanocoumarins and graveolone from the common herb parsley

Abstract Fresh parsley leaves and dried parsley flakes were analysed for furanocoumarins. This is the first reported isolation of the linear furanocoumarin, saxalin, from parsley. The coumarin, graveolone, has been previously shown to occur in parsley cell suspension culture; however, this is the first description of its isolation from the plant. Psoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin, isoimperatorin, isopimpinellin, oxypeucedanin, and oxypeucedanin hydrate were also found, and the levels of psoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin and isopimpinellin were quantified by HPLC in fresh and dried parsley flakes. Fresh parsley leaves were found to have a total of 112 μg g− fr. wt. One brand of parsley flakes had a total of 304 μg g − dry wt of the three major photosensitizing linear furanocoumarins (psoralen, bergapten and xanthotoxin).