Phytochemical Features of <i>Malabaila dasyantha</i> (Apiaceae) Aerial Parts

Abstract

Malabaila dasyantha (C. Koch) Grossh (Apiaceae) is one of the species widely used in folk medicine. However, scientific research of this species has not been carried out, and almost no information on it is found in academic scientific databases. The new distribution areas of M. dasyantha were discovered in Gadabay district, Azerbaijan. It was determined that the plant belongs to the xerophytic ecological group. The chemical composition of the species was studied, focusing on the isolation and elucidation of phytochemical structures. The aerial parts of Malabaila dasyantha were finely cut and dried at ambient conditions. The mixture of extractive substances was obtained through three consecutive extractions with acetone, each 3 days long. The resulting acetone was filtered and evaporated on a water bath, resulting in a yellow resin with a 7% yield. The resin was then dissolved in CHCl3 and chromatographed over a column of neutral Al2O3 with elution by hexane, hexane + benzene, benzene, benzene + chloroform, chloroform, and chloroform + ethanol, in different ratios. Each fraction had a volume of 100 mL, and the separation and isolation process was carried out using column (silica gel) and thin-layer chromatographic methods. The structural elucidation of the purified compounds was based on infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet, 1H and 13C-NMR data, and compared with those previously reported in the literature. The isolated compounds from the acetone extracts of M. dasyantha were identified as scopoletin (4.3%), oxypencedanin (2.6%), isoimperatorin (3.5%), and columbianetin (2.5%). These findings may have potential applications in the fields of medicine and pharmacology. Further studies are needed to fully explore the potential of these compounds and their therapeutic properties.