Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ROOTS OF TRAPA NATANS L.

Chetna Kharbanda, Mohammed Ali*, Mohammad Sarwar Alam, Hinna Hamid, Shahnaz Sultana and Showkat Rassol Mir

ABSTRACT

Trapa natans L. (family Trapaceae) is an annual aquatic fruit plant found in fresh water lakes, ponds, canals, and slow waters. Its fruits are used to treat bilious affections, bronchitis, fatigues and inflammation, lumbago, stomach and spleen problems, and sore throat. Our study was planned to isolate chemical constituents from a methanolic extract of the roots of this plant and to characterize their structures on the basis spectral data analysis. Phytochemical investigation of the roots of T. natans led to isolate two known aromatic acids identified as caffeic acid (1), and ferulic acid (2), a new flavone derivative formulated as 5,7-dihydroxy-8- (2′′-hydroxyethyl)-4′-methoxyflavone (trapaflavone, 3), a new sesquiterpenic arabinoside characterized as bazzan-2,4-dien-15-oate -15-O- α-D-arabinopyranoside (4), and a new monoterpenyl triglycosidic syringic acyl derivative and the its structure elucidated as 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzoyl-O-α-D-arabinopyranonyl- (4′→1′′)-O-α-D-arabinopyranonyl-(4′′→1′′′)-O-α-D-arabinopyranonyl-(4′′′→3a)-3a-α-verbenol (5). Three phytoconstituents 2 - 4 have been isolated for the first time from the roots of this plant. The structures of isolated phytoconstituents were established on the basis of analysis of spectral data and chemical means.

Keywords: Trapa natans L., Trapaceae, roots, phytoconstituents, isolation, characterization.