Selective and cost-effective protocol to separate bioactive triterpene acids from plant matrices using alkalinized ethanol: Application to leaves of Myrtaceae species

Selective and cost-effective protocol to separate bioactive triterpene acids from plant matrices using alkalinized ethanol: Application to leaves of Myrtaceae species

Triterpenes as betulinic (BA), oleanolic (OA) and ursolic acids (UA) have increasingly gained therapeutic relevance due to their wide scope of pharmacological activities. To fit large-scale demands, exploitable sources of these compounds have to be found and simple, cost-effective methods to extract...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pharmacognosy Magazine Vol. 11; no. 43; pp. 470 - 476
Main Authors: Lima, Adélia M Belem, Siani, Antonio Carlos, Nakamura, Marcos Jun, D'Avila, Luiz Antonio
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01-07-2015
Sage Publications Ltd
Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
Subjects:
Chromatography
Health aspects
Herbal medicine
Laboratories
Methods
Myrtaceae
Original
Pharmacological research
Production processes
Raw materials
Solvents
Terpenes
Eugenia
Alkaline extraction
triterpene acids
Syzygium
Psidium
cutin depolymerization
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Summary:Triterpenes as betulinic (BA), oleanolic (OA) and ursolic acids (UA) have increasingly gained therapeutic relevance due to their wide scope of pharmacological activities. To fit large-scale demands, exploitable sources of these compounds have to be found and simple, cost-effective methods to extract them developed. Leaf material represents the best plant sustainable raw material. To obtain triterpene acid-rich extracts from leaves of Eugenia, Psidium and Syzygium species (Myrtaceae) by directly treating the dry plant material with alkalinized hydrated ethanol. This procedure was adapted from earlier methods to effect depolymerization of the leaf cutin. Extracts were prepared by shaking the milled dry leaves in freshly prepared 2% NaOH in 95% EtOH solution (1:4 w/v) at room temperature for 6 h. Working up the product in acidic aqueous medium led to clear precipitates in which BA, OA and UA were quantified by gas chromatography. Pigment-free and low-polyphenol content extracts (1.2-2.8%) containing 6-50% of total triterpene acids were obtained for the six species assayed. UA (7-20%) predominated in most extracts, but BA preponderated in Eugenia florida (39%). Carried out in parallel, n-hexane defatted leaves led to up to 9% enhancement of total acids in the extracts. The hydroalcoholate treatment of Myrtaceae species dry leaves proved to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method to obtain triterpene acids, providing them be resistant to alkaline medium. These combined techniques might be applicable to other plant species and tissues.
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ISSN:0973-1296
0976-4062
DOI:10.4103/0973-1296.160453