ABSTRACT
Eight triterpenes were isolated from the methanol extract of Galbanum by various chromatographic methods including silica gel, ODS opening column, recrystallization and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods and physicochemical properties as 3β,19α,21α-trihydroxyl-12-en-28-oic acid (1), sumaresinolic acid (2), 3β,19α-dihydroxyl-12-en-28-oic acid (3), oleanolic acid (4), 3β,6β,19α-trihydroxyl-12-en-28-oic acid (5), 19α-hydroxy oleanonic acid (6), 6α-hydroxy oleanonic acid (7), and (11R,12R)-3α,6α-dihydroxy-epoxyolean-28α,13α-olide (8). Among them, compound 1 is a new compound, while compounds 2-8 were newly isolated from the Apiaceae family. The ability of compounds 1-8 to inhibit cholinesterase was determined with an improved Ellman method. Compound 1 showed strong inhibitory activity against butyrylcholinesterase. The molecular docking results indicated that Trp82, His438, Phe329 and Ala328 played an important role in the binding of compound 1 to butyrylcholinesterase.