Objective: To study the chemical constituents of the roots of Helicteres angustifolia.
Method: The compounds were isolated and purified by column chromatographic methods on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS and preparative HPLC. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral data.
Results: Fourteen compounds were isolated from this plant. Their structures were identified as methyl helicterate(1),3-acetoxybetulin(2),3beta-acetoxy-27-(p-hydroxyl)benzoyloxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid methyl ester(3),3beta-acetoxy-27-benzoyloxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid(4),3beta-acetoxybetulinic acid(5),pyracrenic acid(6),cucurbitacin D(7),cucurbitacin B(8),isocucurbitacin D(9),3beta-acetoxy-27-[(4-hydroxybenzoyl)oxy]olean-12-en-28-oic acid methyl ester (10),beta-sitosterol(11),2alpha,7beta,20alpha-trihydroxy-3beta,21-dimethoxy-5-pregnene(12), hexadecanoic acid(13), and daucosterol(14), respectively.
Conclusion: Compounds 5,8,9,13, 14 were isolated from this plant for the first time.