Identification of Some Compounds from Ether Extract of Catharsius molossus (The Traditional Chinese Medicine, 'Dung Beetle') by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to study the compounds from ether extract of Catharsius molossus L., the traditional Chinese medicine, 'dung beetle'. Over twenty kinds of compounds from the ether extract were detected, and fifteen compounds whose match index was more than 800 were identified. All the identified compounds belonged to fatty acids, and the extract was rich in unsaturated fatty acids. The compound with its characteristic retention peak at 7.87 min was 9-Octadecenoic acid, its content reached 34.62 %, and followed was hexadecanoic acid with 21.06 % of content. In addition, the compound with its characteristic retention peak at 8.71 min was 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (linoleic acid), reaching 8.07 % of all the content, which is an important healthy substance, and has anti-cancer activity. The anticancer effect of C. molossus might be related to the unsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid. The results were useful to help us to know the chemical constituents of the insect-based medicine, and the potential related active substances responsible for the anti-cancer effect of the medicine.