First report of phenolic compounds isolated from Inga stipularis DC. (fabaceae) leaves

Several species of the Inga genus are used by Amazonian indigenous communities to treat injuries, pain and inflammations, which is directly related to the presence of phenolic compounds in these species. Many studies have addressed the phytochemical relevance of this genus, but they are still few considering the large number of species. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of Inga stipularis leaves in order to find compounds with potential pharmacological application and economic interest. The developed method allowed the isolation and identification of 8 compounds in the ethanol extract of I. stipularis: eucryphin, neoastilbin, astilbin, neoisoastilbin, isoastilbin, quercitrin, engeletin and isoengeletin. Astilbin stands out for having been isolated directly from the fractionation of the extract by SPE with high yield. This study was a pioneer for I. stipularis and revealed the potential of the species as an abundant source of compounds of pharmacological and economic interest.