Triterpenic and acyl glycosides from the leaves of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban

Abstract Centella asiatica (L.) Urban (Apiaceae) is a small perennial, prostrate herb indigenous to India, south-eastern Asia, United States and Africa. It is used to treat anxiety, asthma, blood circulation, cancer, colds, cough, elephantiasis, epilepsy, fevers, gastrointestinal problems, hepatic, skin and urinary tract diseases, hydrocele, hypertension, hysteria, insomnia, rheumatism, scleroderma, strangury, ulcers and wounds. Plants have an enormous potential for the management and treatment of different kind of illness. The active constituents of this plant induce the healing and regeneration of the lost tissue by multiple mechanisms. Plants gives us phytomedicines and these phytomedicines are not only cheap and affordable but are also safe as hyper sensitive reactions are rarely encountered with the use of these agents. The presence of various life-sustaining constituents in plants has urged scientist to examine these plants with a view to determine potential wound healing properties Phytochemical investigation of a methanolic extract of the leaves resulted in the isolation of five new compounds characterized as urs-12-en-3β-ol-28-oic acid-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2′- arachidate (ursolic acid glucosidic arachidate (1), urs-12-en-3β-ol-28-oic acid 3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(2′→1′′)-O-β-D- xylopyranoside (ursolic acid 3-O-β-D-dixyloside (3), n-dodecanoyl-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(6′→1′′)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(6′′→1′′′)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-6′′′→1′′′′)- O-β-D-glucopyranoside (lauroyl tetraglucoside (5), n-octanoyl-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(6a→1b)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(6b→1c)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(6c→1d)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(6d→1e)–O-β-D-gluco- pyranoside (caproyl pentaglucoside (6) and ursan-3β-ol-28-al-3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(2a→1b)-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(2b→1c)-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(2c→1d)-O-α-L-glucopyranosyl-(2d→1e)-O-α-L-glucopyranosyl-(2e→1f)-O-α-L-glucopyranoside (ursolic aldehyde 3-O-α-L-hexaglycoside (7) along with two known phytoconstituents identified as n-decanoyl-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl- (6′→1′′)-O-β-D- glucopyranoside (n-capryl diglucoside (2) and glyceryl 1-decanoyl –2- phosphate (4), The structures of these phytoconstituents have been elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis and chemical reactions. Keywords: Centella asiatica, Leaves, Triterpenic glycosides, Acyl glucosides, characterization, Structure elucidation.