New triterpenoids from Morus alba L. stem bark

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Phytochemistry
• Organic Chemistry

Background:

• Morus alba (Moraceae) is a plant species with a history of traditional medicinal use.
• Triterpenoids are a diverse class of natural products with a wide range of biological activities.
• Previous studies have indicated the presence of various bioactive compounds in Morus alba.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize phytoconstituents from the stem bark of Morus alba L.
• To identify novel triterpenoids and known compounds present in the plant extract.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of secondary metabolites from Morus alba stem bark.
• Isolation of compounds using chromatographic techniques.
• Structure elucidation of isolated compounds via spectral data analysis (NMR, MS) and chemical transformations.

Main Results:

• Isolation of two new lupeol-type pentacyclic triterpenoids: lup-20(29)-en-3β-ol-27-oic acid (moruslupenoic acid A) and lup-12, 20(29)-dien-3β-ol-26-oic acid (moruslupenoic acid B).
• Identification of a new lanostane-type triterpenoid acetate: lanst-5, 24-dien-3β-yl acetate (moruslanosteryl acetate).
• Co-isolation of known triterpenoids: α-amyrin acetate, β-amyrin-β-D-glucopyranoside, and betulinic acid.

Conclusions:

• The stem bark of Morus alba L. is a rich source of diverse pentacyclic triterpenoids.
• The structural characterization of moruslupenoic acids A and B and moruslanosteryl acetate expands the knowledge of Morus alba phytochemistry.
• The identified compounds contribute to understanding the chemical profile of Morus alba and may possess potential pharmacological properties.