Isolation of alpha-spinasterol from Amaranthus spinosus stems / Aislación de alfa-spinasterol de ramas de Amaranthus spinosus

alpha spinasterol was identified in stems of Amaranthus spinosus. The structure was obtained by spectroscopic methods and comparison with literature data.

alfa spinasterol fue identificado en ramas de Amaranthus spinosus. La estructura fue obtenida por metodos espectroscópicos y por comparación con datos de literature.

Chemical constiuents from Richardia grandiflora (Cham. & Schltdl.) Steud. (Rubiaceae) / Constituintes químicos de Richardia grandiflora (Cham. & Schltdl.) Steud. (Rubiaceae)

Amongst the different forms of therapy to prevent and cure illnesses, plants have been, undoubtedly, the most utilized ones since the beginning of mankind. Brazil has a great diversity on plants that possess non-researched medicinal potential and are promising sources of therapeutic and pharmacological innovations. The Rubiaceae family is considered the biggest one of the order Gentianales, presenting around 637 genera and 10,700 species. Richardia grandiflora (Cham. & Schltdl.) Steud., known popularly as "ervanço", "poaia" or "ipeca-mirim", has ethnopharmacological indications to use as decoction against hemorrhoids and as vermifuge. Aiming at contributing to the chemotaxonomic study of the family Rubiaceae and considering the absence of data in literature about the chemical constitution of the species Richardia grandiflora, the latter was submitted to a phytochemical study to isolate its chemical constituents, through usual chromatographic methods, and after identifying them by means of spectroscopic methods such as ÕH and 13C NMR, with the add of two-dimensional techniques, besides comparison with literature data. Five constituents were isolated through this first phytochemical study with R. grandiflora: a mixture of the steroids beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol, o-hydroxy-benzoic acid, m-methoxy-p-hydroxy-benzoic acid and phaeophitin A, all of them isolated for the first time from the genus Richardia.

Dentre as diversas formas de terapia para a prevenção e cura de doenças, as plantas foram, indubitavelmente, as mais amplamente utilizadas desde o início da humanidade. O Brasil tem grande diversidade de plantas com potenciais medicinais, ainda não pesquisados, e que são promissoras fontes de inovações terapêuticas e farmacológicas. A família Rubiaceae, considerada a maior da ordem Gentianales, possui cerca de 637 gêneros e 10.700 espécies. Richardia grandiflora (Cham. & Schltdl.) Steud., conhecida popularmente como ervanço, poaia ou ipeca-mirim, tem indicações etnofarmacológicas para uso contra hemorróidas e como vermífugo na forma de decocto. Visando a contribuir com o estudo quimiotaxonômico da família Rubiaceae e tendo em vista a ausência de dados na literatura acerca da constituição química de Richardia grandiflora, esta foi submetida a um estudo fitoquímico para o isolamento de seus constituintes químicos, através dos métodos cromatográficos usuais, e posterior identificação estrutural dos mesmos, utilizando-se os métodos espectroscópicos de RMN ÕH e 13C uni e bidimensionais, além de comparações com modelos da literatura. Deste estudo pioneiro com R. grandiflora foram isolados e identificados cinco constituintes: uma mistura dos esteróides beta-sitosterol e estigmasterol, o ácido o-hidroxibenzóico, o ácido m-metoxi-p-hidroxi-benzóico e a feofitina A, todos inéditos no gênero Richardia.

Phytochemical and some pharmacological properties of certain plants belonging to Asteraceae family

The aerial parts of three plants belonging to Family Asteraceae: Inula crithmoides, Iphiona scarab and Jasonia montana were investigated. Phytochemicals isolated from Inula crithmoides were identified as: isopimpinellin [I], scoparone [II], psoralene [III], kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside [IV], kaempferol -3, 7- di-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside [V], kaempferol-3-O-beta- D-glucopyranoside-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside [VI] and isorhamnetin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside [VII]. From Iphiona scarba umbelliferone [VIII], xanthotoxol [IX], marmesin [X], alpha-amyrin [XI], stigmasterol [XII] and beta-sitosterol [XIII] were isolated. Moreover, Jasonia montana was found to contain 7-hydroxy-3, 5, 6, 3',. 4'-pentamethoxy flavone [XIV], 5, 7-dihydroxy- 3, 6, 3', 4' -tetramethoxy flavone [XV] and 5, 7-dihydroxy-3, 3', 4' -trimethoxy flavone [XVI], in addition to ferulic acid, caffeic acid, chrorogenic acid, alpha-amyrin, stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol. Inula crithmoides aqueous methanolic extract showed significant inhibitory effect on mouse lymphoma [Cell line L1210] in vitro study in concentration dependant manner starting from 12.5 up to 250 microg/ml [20 - 100% inhibition], respectively. In vivo study, the results indicated that Inula crithmoides methanolic extract had significant antioxidant effect against mycotoxin [Ochratoxin A]-induced oxidative stress in rat. Iphiona scabra and Jasonia montana ethanolic extracts showed potent acute anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and hypotenssive activities comparing to the standard drugs [indomethacine]

Process for isolating and purifying stigmasterol and sitosterol derived products from glycine max seeds

Two major sterol dos soybean, Glycine max L. [Leguminosae], were isolated with Thin Layer Chromatography [TLC] and argentic TLC. They were examined using NMR, IR and MS instrumental analysis and identified as stigmasterol [stigmast-5, 22-dien-3beta-ol] acetate and sitosterol [stigmast-5-en-3beta-ol] acetate