FATTY ACID ESTERS FROM THE ROOTS OF GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA L.

Makhmur Ahmad, Mohammed Ali*, Bibhu Prasad Panda, Shahnaz Sultana and Showkat Rasool Mir

ABSTRACT

Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Family: Fabaceae) is a herbaceous perennial legume native to northern Africa, southern Europe and western Asia. Its roots are mainly used to treat arthritis, asthma, colic, bronchial catarrh, bruises, burns, colds, coughs, diabetes, diarrhoea, eczema, epilepsy, fever, flatulence, gastric and mouth ulcers, haematemesis, hair fall, haemorrhagic diseases, hepatitis, herpes, hyperdipsia, indigestion, influenza, jaundice, kidney stones, leucorrhoea, lung ailment, malaria, menstrual disorders, oedema, ophthalmia, paralysis, prostate cancer, psoriasis, rheumatism, sexual debility, skin eruptions, sore throat, stomach ulcers, tonsillitis, tuberculosis, vomiting and wounds. Our study was planned to isolate chemical constituents from the roots of G. glabra and to characterized their structures. Phytochemical investigation of the roots led to the isolation of fatty acid esters identified as n-octadecanyl hexanoate (1), n-heptadecan-16′-one-17′-ol-1′-olyl stearate (2), n-tetratriacontanyl acetate (geddyl acetate, 3), n-pentadecanyl tetracosanoate (n-pentadecanyl lignoceroate, 4), n-dodecanyl n-octacosanoate (lauryl montanite, 5), n-octadecyl n-docosanoate (stearyl behenate, 6), n-nonatriacontanyl butanoate (n-nonatriacontanyl butyrate, 7) and n-butyl n-tetracontanoate (8). The structures of isolated phytoconstituents were established on the basis of analysis of spectral data.

Keywords: Glycyrrhiza glabra L., roots, fatty acid esters, isolation, characterization.