CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS FROM THE LEAVES OF BUTEA MONOSPERMA (LAM.) TAUB., PODS OF CAESALPINIA DIGYNA ROTTLER AND TUBERS OF CYPERUS ROTUNDUS L.

Pradeep Singh, Mohammed Ali*, Showkat Rassol Mir and Shahnaz Sultana

ABSTRACT

Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. (family Fabaceae) is a small-sized, deciduous tree, and its leaves are used to treat colds, colic, boils, eye diseases, inflammation, lumbago, irregular menstruation, piles, pimples, sore throat and worm infestations. Caesalpinia digyna Rottler (family Caesalpiniaceae) is a large scandent prickly shrub. Its pods are useful as an astringent, febrifuge, physical rejuvenative, tonic and to heal wounds. Cyperus rotundus L. (family Cyperaceae) is a perennial sedge and its tubers are taken as an appetizer, anti-inflammatory and to relieve thirst, pyrexia, cough, vomiting and rheumatoid. Our study was planned to isolate chemical constituents from the methanolic extracts of these plants and to characterize their structures on the basis spectral data analysis. Phytochemical investigation of the leaves of B. monosperma led to isolate a fatty acid ester identified as undecanyl oleate (1). The pods methanolic of C. digyna afforded two fatty acid ester recognized as n-nonadecanyl stearate (2) and n-heptacosanyl stearate (3) and a new aromatic ester characterized as 12-(3′,5′-dihydroxyphenyl)-n-dodecanyloxy pentanoyloxy methylene (4). The methanolic extract of the tubers of Cyperus rotundus furnished a fatty acid ester characterized as hexadecyl (Z)-octadec-9-enoate (palmityl oleate, 5) and a new acyl hexaglucoside structurally elucidated as (Z)-tetracos-6-enoyl -O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(6a→1b)-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(6b→1c)-O-α -D-glucopyranosyl-(6c→1d)-O- α -D-glucopyranosyl-(6d→1e)-O- β -D-glucopyranosyl-(6e→1f)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (an n-teracos-6-enoyl O-β-D-hexaglucoside, (6).

Keywords: Butea monosperma leaves, Caesalpinia digyna pods, Cyperus rotundus tubers, phytoconstituents, isolation, characterization.