Two new triterpenoids from Cichorium intybus L. roots

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry

Background:

• Cichorium intybus L. (Asteraceae) is a plant with a history of medicinal use.
• The chemical constituents of Cichorium intybus roots are not fully elucidated.
• Triterpenoids and aliphatic compounds are known classes of plant metabolites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize novel phytoconstituents from the methanolic extract of Cichorium intybus roots.
• To establish the structures of these compounds using advanced analytical techniques.

Main Methods:

• Methanolic extraction of Cichorium intybus roots.
• Isolation of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
• Structure elucidation via spectral data analysis (e.g., NMR, MS) and chemical reactions.

Main Results:

• Two new triterpenic constituents, lupenic arabinopalmitate and lupenic palmitate, were isolated.
• A novel aliphatic δ-lactone, 4β-(pent-2-enylolactone)-hexatriacontane, was identified.
• The known compound glyceryl-1-stearyl-2-linolenyl phosphate was also isolated.
• Structures of all isolated compounds were confirmed through comprehensive spectral and chemical analyses.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified three new compounds from Cichorium intybus roots, expanding the knowledge of its phytochemical profile.
• The findings contribute to understanding the chemical diversity of Asteraceae family plants.
• The isolated compounds represent potential leads for further pharmacological investigations.