Isolation and Characterization of a Glucosylceramide and a Glycosylated Steroid from Hyoscyamus senecionis

Abstract

Nowadays, medicinal plants play a significant role in our life. Their natural compounds are used for treatment and prevention of various diseases. Among the medicinal plants, species of Hyoscyamus genus have great importance. In traditional Chinese and Indian medicines, they have been used to treat stomach pain and severe coughs [1]. Major compounds within this genus are tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine and hyoscyamine, which are widely used in pharmaceutical industry worldwide [2]. In this study, we focused on the isolation and purification of the phytochemical constituents of H. senecionis, a native Iranian species which possesses antispasmodic and analgesic properties [3]. Herein, an ethyl acetate extract of the leaves of this species was subjected to various chromatography methods. Additionally, modern NMR methods were used for compound identification, leading to the identification of a ceramide derivative (1) as well as a glycosylated steroid. Similar structures of these compounds have been previously reported from Hyoscyamus genus and are consistent with our results.