Planta Med 2020; 86(08): 565-570
DOI: 10.1055/a-1137-4289
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Where Is Bacosine in Commercially Available Bacopa monnieri?

Stefanie Ritter
1   Organic-analytical Chemistry, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Straubing, Germany
2   Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Technical University of Munich, Straubing, Germany
,
Corinna Urmann
1   Organic-analytical Chemistry, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Straubing, Germany
2   Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Technical University of Munich, Straubing, Germany
,
Rainer Herzog
1   Organic-analytical Chemistry, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Straubing, Germany
2   Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Technical University of Munich, Straubing, Germany
,
Jan Glaser
3   PhytoLab GmbH & Co. KG, Vestenbergsgreuth, Germany
,
Sebastian Bieringer
1   Organic-analytical Chemistry, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Straubing, Germany
2   Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Technical University of Munich, Straubing, Germany
,
Thomas Geisberger
4   Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
,
Wolfgang Eisenreich
4   Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
,
Herbert Riepl
1   Organic-analytical Chemistry, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Straubing, Germany
2   Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Technical University of Munich, Straubing, Germany
› Institutsangaben

Gefördert durch: Hans Fischer Gesellschaft Gefördert durch: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 031B0823D
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Publikationsverlauf

received 16. Januar 2020
revised 10. März 2020

accepted 12. März 2020

Publikationsdatum:
23. April 2020 (online)

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Abstract

Bacopa monnieri is an Ayurvedic plant with rising interest in the pharmacological effects of its extract and constituents, including flavonoids, saponins, and triterpenes such as cucurbitacins, betulinic acid, and bacosine. The latter two compounds are isomeric 3-hydroxy lupenoic acids, which vary only in the arrangement of the carboxylic acid group and the methyl group at C-27 and C-28 and the orientation of the hydroxy group at C-3. In this study, we have reinvestigated the contents of betulinic acid and bacosine, respectively, in extracts from various commercially available B. monnieri powders and food supplements. To our surprise, HPLC-ion trap time-of-flight analyses identified only betulinic acid, but not bacosine, in all extracts under study, which was verified by GC-MS, HPLC-ELSD, 1D NMR (1H,13C), and 2D NMR (1H,1H COSY, 1H,13C HMBC, 1H,13C HSQC, 1H,1H NOESY) experiments. Moreover, it turned out that commercially available reference samples of bacosine were structurally identical with betulinic acid.

Supporting Information