Purification and Structure Elucidation of Compounds from the Roots of Ferula ovina Boiss.

The genus Ferula contains more than 30 species all over the world that its 30 species have been found in Iran. There are several studies on phyochemicals of Ferula species, but no study has been reported from Ferula ovina. Identification and structure elucidation of chemical constituents of Ferula ovina roots. Dichloromethane extract of F. ovina roots was obtained using maceration. The extract was concentrated by solvent evaporation and 0 g of the concentrated extract subjected to normal phase column (60 × 5 cm) chromatography. The elution of column was started by petroleum ether and continued by increasing amount of ethyl acetate, resulting going out compounds in the order of polarity. The volume of collecting fractions was 50 mL and those fractions that have similar spots in TLC experiment were combined. Three pure major compounds, namely, stylosin, tschimgine and ferutinin were finally obtained. Their structures were determined by D and D NMR experiments. The former two compounds were monoterpene derivatives and the latter was a sesquiterpene derivative. Dichloromethane extract of F. ovina roots contains three known major compounds, stylosin, tschimgine and ferutinin. Regarding the presence of high amount of ferutinin as one of the most potent natural estrogens in this species, the importance of this Ferula species emerged.