Isolation and characterization of triterpenes from Diospyros montana (Roxb.) leaves

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this research was to isolate important secondary metabolites of Diospyros montana (Roxb.) leaves belonging to the family Ebenaceae.Methods: In this study, we investigated the chemical composition of a pentacyclic triterpenes fraction from the leaves of D. montana. Leaves were exhaustively extracted with ethanol and fractionated into petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extracts. The various fractions were further analyzed for phytochemical composition and HPTLC fingerprinting. The fractions were subjected to TLC and spectral analysis by IR, Mass, and 1HNMR and 13CNMR spectra to characterize isolated compounds.Results: The chemical examination of the leaves of D. montana (Roxb.) afforded the isolation of two compounds on column chromatography. These two compounds were confirmed by comparing their chemical and spectral data with that of published works of literature.Conclusion: The author could isolate a significant amount of Pentacyclic triterpenes: oleanolic acid and β-amyrin from the leaves of D. montana. Further preclinical studies may be extended to elucidate their mechanism.