Brocchiana carboxylic acid; the analogue of brevifolin carboxylic acid, Isolation and identification from Chrozophora brocchiana

The Euphorbiaceae is a large family with close to 300 genera and 5000–7500 species. In Egypt, this family is represented by only seven genera [1]. The chemosystematics of Euphorbia species in Egypt have recently been investigated and the current study of Chrozophora species is a continuation of our research on the phenolic constituents of this family. Previous phytochemical investigation of the genus Chrozophora resulted in the isolation of several types of chemical constituents including essential oils, terpenes, sterols, phenylpropanoid glycosides, xanthones, chromone and flavonoids [2].

The present study deals with the isolation and identification of phenolic constituents from the aerial parts of Chrozophora brocchiana Vis. Brocchiana carboxylic acid, the analogue of brevifolin carboxylic acid [3] was isolated and identified from the aqueous methanol extract of the aerial parts of Chrozophora brocchiana in addition to eight known compounds identified as gallic acid, methyl gallate, ethyl gallate, ellagic acid, mono- and di-methoxy ellagic acid, apigenin and luteolin 7-O-glucoside.

The structures were determined primarily by ESI-MS spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The assignment of NMR signals was performed by means of ¹H–¹H COSY, HMQC and HMBC experiments.

Brocchiana carboxylic acidBrevifolin carboxylic acid

References: 1. Taeckholm, V. (1974), Student's Flora of Egypt, 2^nd ed., Cairo University Press, Cairo. 2. Hashim, O.K, Abou–Zaid, M.M. et al. (1990), Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 18: 151–152. 3. Nawwar, M.A.M. et al. (1994), Phytochemistry 36: 793–798.