Triterpenoid and Steroid Content of Lipophilic Extracts of Selected Medicinal Plants of the Mediterranean Region

Abstract

The available phytochemical characteristics of the medicinal plants and derived herbal material often lack data concerning the content of steroids (including phytosterols) and triterpenoids, that can be responsible for various beneficial properties and therapeutic effects, either directly, or as a result of synergistic action with other bioactive constituents. The aim of the present work was the analysis of the content of these compounds in herbal material (leaves, aerial parts) derived from selected medicinal plants (Cistus ladanifer, Cistus monspeliensis, Erica arborea, Globularia alypum, Pistacia lentiscus, Rhamnus alaternus), widely used in folk medicine in the Mediterranean region. Results obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-targeted profiling revealed the diversity in the profiles and contents of steroids and triterpenoids in the analyzed plant material, ranging from 5.7% d.w. in E. arborea to 0.1% in G. alypum. The obtained results supplement the existing phytochemical data of the investigated medicinal plants, pointing to the E. arborea aerial parts and P. lentiscus leaves as valuable resources of phytosterols and bioactive triterpenoids.

Flowers and Inflorescences of Selected Medicinal Plants as a Source of Triterpenoids and Phytosterols

“…One ketone, i.e., α-amyrenone, and two aldehydes, oleanolic and ursolic, were also identified. The two identified monols, α-amyrin and lupeol, and their ketones, α-amyrenone and lupenone, were associated with common peaks, as described in the previous reports [32,33]; therefore, in the extracts where lupane-type triterpenoids were present, the respective pairs of compounds were quantified together. Some triterpenoid esters, i.e., oleanolic acid acetate and methyl esters of oleanolic and ursolic acids, were identified in the fraction of the neutral triterpenoids, due to the same range of their chromatographic mobility during fractionation on silica gel plates (Rf 0.3-0.9; Section 4.3).…”

“…Fractions were eluted from the gel in diethyl ether. The fraction of free steroids and neutral triterpenoids was directly analyzed without derivatization using GC-MS (Agilent Technologies 7890A) while the fraction of triterpenoid acids was methylated with diazomethane [32,33].…”

“…SW Version 2010, or previously reported data, and by comparison of their retention times and corresponding mass spectra with those of authentic standards, where available. Quantitation was performed using an external standard method based on calibration curves determined for authentic standards of sitosterol, α-amyrin and oleanolic acid methyl ester, applied for each class of compounds (i.e., steroids, neutral triterpenoids and triterpenoid acids, respectively) as described earlier [32,33,62].…”

Qualitative and Quantitative Phytochemical profiling of Digera muricata (L.) Mart Leaves

“…Previous literatures suggest that extracts of A. theiformis contain 95% of total phenolic content which of which mangiferin identified in the plant possessed anti diabetic potential and also lowered the cholesterol levels (21). Steroids are one of the broad class of chemical compounds that are distinguished by their carbon structure, they are found to reduce swelling, redness and inflammations (22) the plant powder showed the presence of steroids in all the extracts and the highest concentration of steroid was obtained from the hydro ethanolic extract of the plant. Studies suggest that among all species, E. arborea has been identified as prominent source of steroids and triterpenoids that aerial parts of the plant has high amount of ursolic acid and alpha amyrin thus the plant has great antioxidant potential, antidiabetic (23).…”