Abstract

ALIPHATIC CONSTITUENTS AND 3-EPI-URSOLIC ACID FROM THE FRUITS OF ZANTHOXYLUM ARMATUM DC.

Shahnaz Sultana, Mohammed Ali* and Showkat Rasool Mir

ABSTRACT

Zanthoxylum armatum DC. (family Rutaceae) is a thorny shrub or small tree found in south eastern Asia. Its fruits and seeds are used to treat arthritis, asthma, blood diseases, bronchitis, bruises, cancer, cholera, diabetes, depression, digestive impairment, dyspepsia, earache, fever, fibrositis, headache, heart diseases, microbial infections, piles, roundworms, skin diseases, swellings, toothache and worms. Our study was planned to isolate chemical constituents from a methanolic extract of the fruits of this plant and to characterize their structures on the basis spectral data analysis. Phytochemical investigation of the fruits of Z. armatum led to isolate 1, 2-dilinoleio-3-palmitoyl glyceride (1), n-dodecanyl linoleniate (2), n-tetracosanoic acid (lignoceric acid, 3), (Z,Z)- n-octacos-10,20-dienoic acid (4), (Z,Z)- n-dotriacont-6,9-dienoic acid (5), (Z,Z)- n-dotriacont-6,12-dienoic acid (6), 29-(cyclohex-1'-enyl)-nonacosane (7), and 3-epi-ursolic acid (α-ursolic acid, 8). The structures of the isolated chemical constituents were established on the basis of analysis of spectral data and chemical means.

Keywords: Zanthoxylum armatum, Fruits, Phytoconstituents, Isolation, Structure elucidation.