Bergapten health benefit and research

Bergapten is found in bergamot.

Bergamot juice contains different classes of flavonoids (e.g. flavanones and flavones) that can exert beneficial effects on human health. Some of the substances in bergamot include neoeriocitrin, naringin and neohesperidin, naringin, neohesperidin and neoeriocitrin, vicenin-2, stellarin-2, rhoifolin and neodiosmin. Bergapten and bergamottin are the primary furanocoumarins in bergamot juice.

Vitiligo treatment
Psoralen and bergapten: in silico metabolism and toxicophoric analysis of drugs used to treat vitiligo.
J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2009; da Silva VB, Kawano DF, Carvalho I, da Conceição EC, de Freitas O, da Silva CH. Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, CEP 14040-903, Brazil.
To discuss the contribution of psoralen and bergapten metabolites on psoralens toxicity. Computational chemistry prediction of metabolic reactions and toxicophoric groups based on the expert systems Derek and Meteor. A total of 15 metabolites were suggested for both psoralen and bergapten based on phase 1 and 2 biotransformations until the 3rd generation. Five toxicophoric substructures were shared among psoralen, bergapten and their corresponding metabolites; one toxicophoric marker (resorcinol) was only identified in bergapten and its biotransformation products. Although the toxic effects of psoralens are well known and documented, there is little information concerning the role of their metabolites in this process. We believe this work add to the knowledge of which molecular substructures are relevant to the process of metabolism and toxicity induction, thus guiding the search and development of more effective and less toxic drugs to treat vitiligo.

Extraction process
Comparison study of different methods for extracting volatile oil from bergamot
Zhong Yao Cai. 2008 Aug; Medical College of Jinhua Profession and Technology College, Jinhua 321000, China.
To test different methods for extracting volatile oil from bergamot. The determination of bergapten was carried out by RP-HPLC. Four different ways of organic solvent extraction, steam-input distillation, distillation of the material mixed with water and press extraction were compared. Bergapten wasn't extracted by ways of steam-input distillation and distillation of the material mixed with water. The steam distillation extraction can be taken to extract volatile oil from bergamot for protecting humans' skins.

Chemical constituents of antibacterial activity fraction of Angelica polymorpha
Zhong Yao Cai. 2008 Aug; Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Products Research and Development/College of Chemistry and Life Sciences China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China.
 Angelica polymorpha compounds were isolated: bisabolangelone, isoimperatorin, oxypeucedanine, isooxypeucedanine, oxypeucedanin hydrate, bergapten, pabulenol. Bisabolangelone is obtained from this plant for the first time.

Bergapten is found in
Angelica polymorpha
Bergamot
Cnidium seed contains bergapten
Grapefruit juice has several furanocoumarins that inhibit P450 activity in intestinal microsomes. These include bergamottin, bergapten, bergaptol and 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin.

herbal extract information, benefits, side effects