Chemical Constituents From the Aerial Roots of Ficus benghalensis L., Leaves of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. and Roots of Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) Benth. et Hook. f.

Abstract

Ficus benghalensis L. (Moraceae) is a native to tropical Asia. Its aerial roots are styptic and taken to alleviate biliousness, dysentery, liver inflammation, jaundice, spermatorrhoea, syphilis and obstinate vomiting. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. (Oleaceae) is distributed in the eastern Asia including India, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Indonesia. Its leaves are used to treat acidity, asthma, bronchitis, cough, dyspepsia, fevers, hypertension, malaria, menstrual cramps, piles, rheumatism, sciatica, snake bites , strangury and to expel intestinal worms. Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) Benth. et Hook. f. (Asteraceae) is a native to southeastern North America and one of the most common weeds in northern India after the rainy season. Its roots are used to cure bladder inflammation and also as a blood purifier. The air-dried plant parts were exhaustively extracted with methanol individually in a Soxhlet apparatus. The concentrated methanol extracts were adsorbed on silica gel for column and chromatographed over silica gel column separately. The columns were eluted with petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol successively to isolate the phytoconstituents. Phytochemical investigation of the aerial roots of F. benghalensis afforded n-tritriacontan-10-one (1), 30-lauryloxy- urs-12-en-3β-olyl butyrate (30-lauryloxy-α-amyrin 3-butyrate, 2) and urs-12-en-23,6α-olide 3β-olyl palmitate (3-palmityl α-amyrin-23,6α-olide, 3). The leaves of N. arbor-tristis furnished two vanillyl glycosidic disters characterized as oleiyl-O-α-D-xylopyranosyl-(2a→1b)-O-α-D-xylopyranosyl-2b-vanillyl-4b-caproate (oleiyl-O- α-D-dixylosyl vanillyl caproate, 4) and oleiyl-O-α-D-arabinopyranosyl-(2a→1b)-O-α-D-arabinopyranosyl--(2b→1c)-O-α-D-arabinopyranosyl--(2c→1d)-O-α-D-arabinopyranosyl-2d-vanillyl-4d-caproate (oleiyl-O- α-D-tetra-arabinosyl vanillyl caproate, 5). The roots of V. encelioides produced tetracosan-1-oyl 1-tetradecanoate (lignoceryl myristate, 6), β-amyrin palmitate (7), urs-12-en-3β-olyl oleate (β-amyrin oleate, 8) and β-amyrin stearate (9). The structures of these phytoconstituents have been established on the basis of spectral data analysis and chemical reactions.