Planta Med 2012; 78 - P_29
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1307537

A New Fatty Alcohol from Terminalia arjuna Leaves with Antileishmanial Activity

M Abo-El-Magd 1, 2, MM Radwan 1, 3, BL Tekwani 1, A El-Fishawy 4, A Said 2, U Hawas 5, S Ross 1, 6
  • 1National Center for Natural Products Research
  • 2National Research Centre, Pharmacognosy Department, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
  • 3Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmacognosy Department, Alexandria, University, Egypt
  • 4Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmacognosy Department, Cairo University, Egypt
  • 5National Research Centre, Phytochemistry and Plants Systematic Department, Giza, Egypt
  • 6Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, USA

Terminalia arjuna is considered the alternative Indian tree to ginseng due to the vast medical applications in the treatment of many illness [1]. The bark has been studied exhaustively; however, little work has been carried out on the leaves. A new fatty alcohol named, (2E)-3,5,7,16-tetramethylheptadec-2-en-1-ol (1), along with two phytosterols (stigmasterol and β-sitosterol glucoside) were isolated from the methanol extract of Terminalia arjuna leaves. The antileishmanial, antimalarial and antimicrobial activities of 1 were investigated. Compound 1 as well as its acetate derivative showed good antileishmanial activity with IC50 values of 9.0 and 2.0µg/mL, respectively.

Acknowledgments: We are grateful to Dr. Bharathi Avula, for assistance with the HR-ES-IMS, and Dr. Melissa Jacob for conducting the antimicrobial testing, and to the Egyptian Ministry of higher education for financial support. References: [1] Tilak JC, Devasagayam TPA, et al. (2006)J Clin Biochem Nutr 39: 75–87.