ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A TRITERPENOID FROM THE LEAVES OF AZIMA TETRACANTHA LAM.

Azima tetracantha Lam. (Salvadoraceae) is a traditional medicinal plant primarily used for mother care treatments after delivery. Based on literature survey, it was noticed that the evaluation of the biopotential of A. tetracantha, and its phytoconstituents are scarcely reported from plant materials growing in the state of Kerala, India.  An attempt was made to reveal the phytochemical profile of the plant using various chromatographic as well as spectroscopic techniques. A triterpenoid of friedelane derivative, was isolated from the leaves of A. tetracantha by employing chromatographic techniques like Column chromatography and thin layer chromatography (TLC), along with preparative TLC. The isolated compound was observed to be white coloured powder consisting of needle shaped crystals. The melting point of the isolated compound was found to be 261- 263 ºC (uncorrected). The crystals were soluble in hexane, acetone, ethyl acetate and methanol.  It was insoluble in water. Further spectroscopic characterization using ultra- violet spectroscopy (UV-Vis), infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) and ¹H- NMR. of the compound revealed it to be friedelin.  Ab initio calculations of isolated compound at HF/3-21G* level of theory has generated an IR spectrum which showed strong signals for carbonyl oxygen (C=O) and C-H stretching of methyl groups similar to the experimental IR spectrum reported in the study. This computed IR spectrum matched perfectly with experimental IR spectrum, confirming the isolated compound to be friedelin