ISOLATION OF Β-AMYRIN ACETATE FROM THE LEAF OF Ficus sycomorous L. (Moracaea)

Abstract

Ficus sycomorous (Family: Moraceae) is a plant used in African traditional medicine to treat mental illness, dysentery, cough, diarrhea, tuberculosis and cancer. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize some compounds from the leaf extract of the plant. The dried pulverized leaf of the plant was extracted using dichloromethane for 72 hours. The extract was drained and filtered. The DCM extract was subjected to Flash Column Chromatography using mobile phase, which progressed from 100% n- hexane to 1:1 mixture of Dichloromethane and ethyl acetate and Silica gel (60-120) as stationary phase. This resulted in the isolation of β-amyrin acetate. The structures of these compounds were established by careful analysis of their spectral (1H, 13C and 2D NMR) data and comparing them with those reported in the literature.