ABSTRACT
Objective To study the chemical constituents from the leaves of Panax notoginseng and their antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH). Methods The constituents were isolated and purified by celite, silica gel, MCI and Sephadex LH-20, reversed-phase MPLC chromatographic methods, then purified by preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified on the basis of mass spectrum and NMR spectrum. Anti-oxidant activity of these compounds was initially investigated. Results Fifteen compounds were isolated from the chloroform, acetone-ethanol (4:1) and acetone-ethanol (1:1) fractions of 95% ethanol extract of the leaves of P. notoginseng, and their structures were elucidated as follows: falcarinol (1), γ-tocopherol (2), (2S,4αS,7αR)-7α-acetyl-3,4,4α,7α- tetrahydro-4α-hydroxy-2,6,7-trimethyl-2-(4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl) cyclopenta [β] pyran-5 (2H)-one (3), picrionoside B (4), linarionoside A (5), viburnolide A (6), quercetin (7), lilyn (8), skimmin (9), apiosylskimmin (10), daphnin methylether (11), 20 (S)-ginsenoside Rh2 (12), ginsenoside F2 (13), 20(R)-ginsenoside Rh2 (14), and isoginsenoside Rh3 (15). Conclusion Compounds 3, 6, and 9-11 are isolated from the plant of genus Panax for the first time, compounds 2 and 4 are isolated from this plant for the first time. Compounds 2, 4, 7, and 8 show certain anti-oxidant activity.