[Ecdysteroid sources in the Carpathian basin. 11-hydroxy substituted ecdysteroids from the Serratula wolffii Andrae]

Seven ecdysteroids have been isolated from the methanolic extract of the herb Serratula wolffii Andrae. The isolation process involved the removal of polar and apolar contaminants, and also included the separation of the target ecdysteroids from each other by using combined chromatographic methods. Isolation of the pure compounds required a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 7 consecutive chromatographic steps with different selectivity. Six of the isolated ecdysteroids showed the presence of an 11alpha-hydroxyl group on the steroidal skeleton, which structure may enhance the increasing effect of ecdysteroids on the protein synthesys of mammals, according to literature data. Ajugasterone C, one of these compounds was found to be present in remarkable amount in the plant. One ecdysteroid, 11 alpha-hydroxypoststerone was identified as a new natural compound.