Triterpenoids from Scorzonera veratrifolia Fenzl

Abstract

The genus Scorzonera (Asteraceae) has several species which are used as a vegetable and in folk medicine all around the world. A phytochemical study was carried out on petroleum ether fraction of methanol extract obtained from the roots of Scorzonera veratrifolia Fenzl (Bitlis / Turkey) to investigate the terpenoid composition of the plant. Column chromatography, preparative thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography (GC) were used for separation of the compounds. Their structures were determined by using GC-MS and NMR techniques. Seventeen triterpenoids (beta-amyrin, beta-amyrin acetate, beta-amyrinone, germanicol, germanicol acetate, germanicone, alpha-amyrin, alpha-amyrin acetate, alpha-amyrinone, Psi - taraxasterol, Psi - taraxasterol acetate, taraxasterol, taraxasterol acetate, lupeol, lupeol acetate, lupenone, fern-7-en-3-one) and one sterol (beta-sitosterol) were determined. The presence of these compounds has been shown for the first time in S. veratrifolia. alpha-amyrinone, beta-amyrin, beta-amyrinone, Psi - taraxasterol and Psi - taraxasterol acetate are new for the genus Scorzonera.