Keywords
spectroscopy
thermo-analysis
betulinic acid
How to Cite
Abstract
Zizyphus spina-christi (Rhamnaceae) is a popular medicinal plant that grows wildly in Asia and Tropical Africa. The plant is widely used in ethnomedical practice for the treatment of fever. As a step towards the isolation of biologically active constituents of this plant, we carried out a bioassay guided extraction of the root bark using solvents of varying polarity including, hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and methanol. An antiplasmodial compound, designated as ZS-2A, was isolated from the chloroform extract and the chemical structure of the compound was characterized using UVvisible, IR, 13C and 1H NMR and thermo-analytical techniques. Our analysis established ZS – 2A as a betulinic acid.
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