Planta Med 2008; 74 - PB113
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084458

Novel triterpenoids from South African Bersama species

NA Koorbanally 1, M Makatini 1, NR Crouch 2
  • 1School of Chemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa
  • 2National Botanical Institute, Berea Road, Durban, 4000, South Africa

Bersama lucens is found in Eastern South Africa as a shrub or a small tree. Traditional healers in South Africa use the bark and roots of Bersama lucens and Bersama swinnyi in preparations to treat infertility, impotence, menstrual pain, as well as headaches, strokes, nervous disorders and leprosy [1,2]. Two novel triterpenoids, lup-30-al-3b-ol (1) and lup-20-(30)-en-3,29-diol-7-one (2) were isolated from Bersama lucens as well as four known compounds. Bersama swinnyi yielded the novel 24-propylcholestan-7,15,20-triol (3) as well as three other known compounds. The structures were deduced from NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and infra-red spectroscopy.

References: 1. van Wyk, B.E. et al. (1997) Medicinal Plants of South Africa, Briza Publications, Pretoria, p.56.

2. Monkhe, T. et al. (1998) Phytochem. 49:1819–1820.