Two New Cyclic Amino Acids from the seeds and Antiviral Activity of methanolic extract of the roots of Zizyphus spinachristi

Abstract

Increased attention has been paid to Genus Zizyphus Family Rhamnaceae due to its significant medicinal uses viz hypoglycemic, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, liver protective and improves the immune function. In this study we isolate two new cyclic amino acids from the seeds of Zizyphus spinachristi (L.) Willd. 70% methanolic extract. The two compounds were identified by means of 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HSQC, HMBC and GC-MS as 4-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid (less polar and major compound) and 4-hydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid (more polar and minor compound) of the ratio 4:3. Antiviral activity was shown to be 94%, 99% with the concentration of 20, 50µg of the 70% methanolic extract of Zizyphus spinachristi roots respectively. This was done using Plaque reduction assay against Herpes Simplex virus (HSV)[1].