ISOLATION OF TRITERPENES FROM FIORIA VITIFOLIA (L.) AND IT’S ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

Fioria vitifolia L. (Linn.),(Malvacae) has been extensively used in folk medicine for the treatment of common cold, flu, and upper respiratory infections and also used as an immune system booster. The methanolic extract of whole plant of Fioria vitifolia was taken underphytochemical investigation. The methanolic extract was partitioned with different solvent system by increasing their polarities using column chromatography, followed by thin layer chromatography for spot identification. Steroids, flavonoids, and triterpenes, gossypin alkaloids have been isolated from the whole part of the plant .The methanolic extract of dried plant of Fioria vitifolia (MEFV) was investigated for anti-inflammatory (carrageenan induced rat paw oedema)and anti-pyretic(brewer’s yeast induced pyrexia)and anti-oxidant activities. It is used in traditional medicine for the relief of pain and inflammation in Tamil nadu, India. Preliminary studies showed the analgesic activity of methanol extract of aerial parts of the plant against Eddy’s hot plate and tail flick models and anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan-induced model in albino rats. In this follow up studies, the major active principle was isolated by column chromatography and identified as friedelin and epifriedelinol using spectral data. Friedelin showed promising antioxidant activity against Nitric oxide radicals in vitro. Further, this study revealed the presence of friedelin and epifriedelinol in Fioria Vitifolia Lplant.