Abstract: The essential oils from leaves and stem barks of Acanthopanax evodiaefolius Franch were extracted by hydro-distillation,and their chemical composition were analyzed by GC-MS.Twenty-eight compounds were identified in leaves,representing 97.31% of the total oil of the leaves,while 36 compounds were identified in stem barks,representing 92.61% of the total oil of stem barks.Their cytotoxic activity and inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were tested.The essential oils from leaves and stem barks were shown slightly cytotoxic activity while the oil from the leaves showed significant NO inhibition activity.This result provided scientific basis for screening new natural anti-inflammatory substances and better utilization of A.evodiaefolius.

Key words: Acanthopanax evodiaefolius, essential oils, anti-inflammatory, nitric oxide, cytotoxic activity, GC-MS