[Triterpenes and sterols from Nauclea latifolia].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the chemical constituents of Nauclea latifolia, which is an African folk medicine and collected from Guinea.

METHODS

The chemical constituents were isolated by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies, and structurally elucidated by spectral evidence together with physiochemical properties.

RESULTS

Twelve compounds including 8 triterpenes and 4 sterols were isolated from the roots of N. latifolia, and their structures were defined as 24-en-cycloartenone (1), ursolic aldehyde (2), quinovic acid (3), rotundic acid (4), 3beta,19alpha,23,24-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (5), pyrocincholic acid 3beta-O-beta-D-fucopyranoside (6), quinovic acid 3beta-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), quinovic acid-3b-O-D-glucopyranosyl-(28-->1)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (8), beta-sitosterol (9), stigmastan-3,6-dione (10), stigmast-4-en-6beta-ol-3-one (11) and daucosterol (12) .

CONCLUSIONS

All compounds except for 4,9, andl2 are isolated from this plant for the fist time, while compounds 2, 6, 10, and 11 are isolated from the genus Nauclea for the first time.