PHYSIOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF MARKER ANTHRAQUINONES AND DERIVATIVES FROM THE PENTAS LANCEOLATA (FORSS. K.) DEFLERS LEAVES

*Pragati Kumar, Dr. Ashish Kumar Sharma and Dr. Prabodh Shukla 

ABSTRACT

Pentas lanceolata (Forssk.) Deflers belonging to family Rubiaceae, is a most common plant widely used names are “Egyptian Star Cluster” or “Pentas”. As a decorative plant, it has been spread all over the tropical and subtropical regions. The Preliminary Phytochemical screening with different solvent extract like Methanol, Chloroform and water with the Leaves of Pentas lanceolata plant showed Presence of glycosides, sterols, flavonoids, triterpinoids, alkaloids, carbohydrates and resins. Chromatographic separation of the methanolic extract yielded nine anthraquinones and derivatives, of which Rubiadin-1-methyl ether-3-O-β-primeveroside, Rubiadin-1-methyl Ether, Damnacanthol (3-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-1-methoxy-9, 10-anthraquinone), Rubiadin (1,3-dihydroxy-2-methyl-9,10- anthraquinone) and Lucidin-ω-methyl ether (1,3-Dihydroxy-2-methoxymethyl-9,10-anthraquinone) were separate out by Preparative TLC and screened out by different spectroscopic techniques. The one steroidal compound was also isolated and was identified as (24S)-24-Ethylcholesta-5-(E)-22-dien-3β-ol (β-Stigmasterol).

Keywords: Methanol, Anthraquinones, Sterols, Preparative TLC, NMR, ?-Stigmasterol.