Phytochemical investigation and biological activity of Cyclamen repandum .
LOI, MARIA CECILIA;
2005-01-01
Abstract
As part of a series of phytochemical investigations for bioactive compounds from medicinal plants we investigated Cyclamen repandum S. et S. (Primulaceae). The tubers of this plant were used in Sardinian folk medicine as abortive, others species of the genus are used in Turkish against infertility. Early investigation on the different species of genus resulted in the isolation of triterpenic saponins (1-3). At our knowledge no phytochemical and biological data are available about C. repandum. In this paper we report the chemical investigation, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities of C. repandum tubers. The powdered tubers were extracted using solvents of increasing polariry (petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol). The residues were tested for the biological activities. The activities were evaluated “in vivo” with two experimental procedures: rat paw’s edema and writhing in mice. The results obtained with methanol extract indicate a significant reduction of edema, after oral administration of 75 mg/Kg of dried residue. As concerns the writhing test, a very significant decrease of the number of writhes was observed, after oral administration of 150 mg/Kg. As frequently natural active principles, endowed with anti-inflammatory activity exhibit antioxidant power, it seemed interesting to evaluate this capacity. For this purpose the same extracts were tested with Briggs-Rauscher reaction (4). No antioxidant power was recorded. Nevertheless the saponin content justifies the pharmacological results. The active extract was fractionated using combined column chromathography (silica gel, Sephadex LH 20 and preparative HPLC). Five compounds were isolated. Compounds 1 and 2 were characterized by HR mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D NMR experiments as triterpenoid saponins, namely deglucocyclamin and deglucoanagalloside B. The structural elucidation of 3- 5 is in progress. References: 1. Calis I. et al. (1997) Planta Med. 63, 166-170. 2. Calis I. et al. (1997) J.Nat.Prod. (1997). 60, 315-318. 3. Yayli N. et al. (1998) Planta Med. 64, 382-384. 4. Cervellati R. et al. (2002) J. Agric. Food Chem., 50, 7504-7509.Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.