From the leaves of Lawsonia inermis (syn. L. alba), two triterpenes augustic acid (1) and 1β,2α,3α,19α-tetrahydroxy-12-ursen-28-oic acid (2), and a triterpene-glycoside suavissimoside R1 (3) were isolated by using various chromatoghraphies. Their structures were characterized on the basis of the spectroscopic data (1D-NMR, HSQC, HMBC, ESI-MS) in comparison with the literature. This is the first report of 1 - 3 from Lawsonia species. | Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 47 (4), P. 511 - 517, 2009 TRITERPENES AND TRITERPENE-GLYCOSIDE FROM THE LEAVES OF LAWSONIA INERMIS Received 26 June 2008 1 NGUYEN THI BINH , PHAM THANH KY1, NGUYEN PHUONG THAO2 CHAU VAN MINH2, NGUYEN XUAN CUONG2, AND PHAN VAN KIEM2 1 Hanoi University of Pharmacy 2 Institute of Natural Products Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology ABSTRACT From the leaves of Lawsonia inermis (syn. L. alba), two triterpenes augustic acid (1) and 1β,2α,3α,19α-tetrahydroxy-12-ursen-28-oic acid (2), and a triterpene-glycoside suavissimoside R1 (3) were isolated by using various chromatoghraphies. Their structures were characterized on the basis of the spectroscopic data (1D-NMR, HSQC, HMBC, ESI-MS) in comparison with the literature. This is the first report of 1 - 3 from Lawsonia species. Keywords: Lawsonia inermis, Lythraceae, Triterpene. I - INTRODUCTION Lawsonia inermis L. (syn. L. alba) is a flowering plant, the sole species in the genus Lawsonia in the family Lythraceae. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australia in semiarid zones. This is a tall shrub or small tree, 2 6 m high. It is glabrous, multibranched with spine tipped branchlets. Leaves are opposite, entire, glabrous, sub-sessile, elliptical, and broadly lanceolate ( - cm x - 2 cm), acuminate, having depressed veins on the dorsal surface. During the onset of precipitation intervals, the plant grows rapidly; putting out new shoots, then growth slows. The leaves gradually yellow and fall during prolonged dry or cool intervals. Henna flowers have four sepals and a 2 mm calyx tube with 3 mm spread lobes. Petals are obvate, white or red stamens inserted in pairs on the rim of the calyx tube. Ovary is four celled, style up to 5 mm long and erect. Fruits are small, brownish capsules, 4 - 8 mm in diameter, with 32–49 seeds per fruit, and open irregularly into four splits. Lawsone content in leaves is negatively .
