Hinokitiol inhibits compound action potentials in the frog sciatic nerve.

Hinokitiol (β-thujaplicin) is a natural tropolone derivative contained in Chamaecyparis taiwanensis that has various actions including anti-inflammatory activities. Various plant-derived compounds inhibit compound action potentials (CAPs) in a manner dependent on the chemical structure of the compounds; however, the effects of hinokitiol on nerve conduction have not been examined. To determine whether hinokitiol inhibits CAPs and, if so, the chemical structure of hinokitiol that is important in this inhibition, we examined the effects of hinokitiol and its related compounds on fast-conducting CAPs using the frog sciatic nerve and the air-gap method. Hinokitiol concentration-dependently reduced the peak amplitude of CAPs with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC