New Triterpene Glycosides From Sutherlandia Frutescens

Sutherlandia frutescens L. (Fabaceae), also known as cancer-bush and Lessertia frutescens, is a shrub mainly found in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is widely and extensively used as a medicinal and dietary supplement plant from the Western Cape, South Africa. It has been used traditionally to treat various ailments such as stomach problems, diabetes, and various inflammatory conditions [1, 2]. It is also used topically to treat eye problems and chickenpox and hemorrhoids. It has also reported for potential anticancer, antimicrobial and antiviral effects on H. influenza and HIV viruses [3]. Significant secondary metabolites previously reported from leaves and stems are D-pinitol, L-canavanine, c-amino butyric acid, cycloartane and flavonols glycosides [4, 5]. The methanolic extracts of Sutherlandia frutescens were investigated using different chromatographic techniques and resulted in the isolation of five new cycloartane glucosides together with known cycloartanes (sutherlandiosides A-D). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive analyses of spectroscopic data including 1D and 2D NMR and ESI-MS.

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Acknowledgements: This research is conducted under grant name “Science Based Authentication of Dietary Supplements” funded by the Food and Drug Administration (1U01FD004246 – 05).

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