Chemical Constituents and Lethality ofPseudopiptadenia Contorta(DC.) G. P. Lewis & M. P. Lima (Fabaceae) againstArtemia salinaLeach

Abstract

This article is the first phytochemical study of the extract from stem of Pseudopiptadenia contorta (DC) G.P. Lewis & M. P. Lima. The potential toxicity of the extract was evaluated in vitro through the lethality test on Artemia salina. From the hexane extract were isolated and characterized the triterpenes lupeol, betulin and lupenone and fatty acids identified by the methyl ester derivatives: docosanoic acid, tetracosanoic and hexacosanoic. From the ethyl acetate extract was identified the indole alkaloid 3-indolecarboxylic acid and in the methanol extract were identified sucrose, besides the alditols, iditol and glucitol, as peracetylated derivatives. The isolation of all metabolites was performed by chromatographic methods and the structures were established based on the analysis IV, CG-MS, 1 H and 13 C NMR spectra analysis and comparison with literature data. In the lethality test against Artemia salina the extracts in hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and methanol/water mixture caused significant mortality of the crustacean larvae, with LD 50 less than 10 3 µg/mL.