ABSTRACT
Background: Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae), is grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world mainly in Africa, Asia, and Pacific region. The plant is used to treat allergies, burns, cuts, cough, diabetes, diarrhea, gum diseases, herpes, leucoderma, skin diseases, paralysis, piles, splenomegaly, toothache, tumors, ulcers, whitlow, warts, and syphilis. Our study was planned to isolate chemical constituents from the rhizomes of C. rotundus and to characterize their structures.
Material and methods: The air-dried root powder was exhaustively extracted with methanol and the concentrated extract was adsorbed on silica gel (60-120 mesh) for the preparation of slurry. The dried slurry was chromatographed over silica gel column packed in petroleum ether. The column was eluted with petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol, successively, in order of increasing polarity to isolate the compounds.
Results: Phytochemical investigation of the roots led to isolate 2-hydroxybenzyl n-octanoate (salicyl caprylate, 1), 2-hydroxybenzyl n-dodecanoate (salicyl laurate, 2), benzyl n-tetradecanoate (benzyl myristate, 3), n-butanoyl-β-D-glucofuranoside (4), 2β-D-galactopyranosyloxybenzyl n-hexanoate (2β-D-galactosyloxybenzyl caproate, 5), 2β-D-glucopyranosyloxybenzyl n-octanoate (2 β-D-glucopyranosyloxybenzyl caprylate , 6) and n-caproyl O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(2ʹ→1ʹʹ)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (n-caproyl diglucoside, 7). The structures of these compounds have been established on the basis of spectral data analysis and chemical means.
Conclusion: The roots of J. curcas possessed three aromatic esters, their glycosides and acyl glucosides.
Keywords: Jatropha curcas L., Roots, Chemical constituents, Isolation, Characterization.