phytosterols and pinoresinol

The aim of this work was to study the chemical characteristics of two Tunisian cultivars, namely Dhokar and Gemri-Dhokar, to analyse the fatty acids, sterols, triacylglycerols, triterpenic alcohols, and to determine the phenolic composition and oxidative stability.. Among the rare varieties, Gemri-Dhokar olive oil had the highest value of oleic acid (69.39%) whereas Dhokar oil was noteworthy for its lower content of phenolic compounds (94.56 mg kg(-1) gallic acid equivalents of oil) and presented the highest level of palmitic acid (19.37%). The main sterols found in all olive oil samples were β-sitosterol and Δ5-avenasterol, whereas cholesterol and 24-methylenecholesterol were also found in all samples but in lower amounts. Two triterpenic dialcohols (erythrodiol and uvaol) were also detected and their content ranged from 1.45 to 2.30%, in Gemri-Dhokar and Dhokar olive oil, respectively. Ten phenolic compounds were identified. In all samples, the main phenols found were oleuropein aglycon and pinoresinol. These phenolic compounds showed significant correlations with oxidative stability.. The analytical parameters of two oils that were determined in this study were greatly influenced by genetic factors (cultivar).

Topics: Alcohols; Drug Stability; Fatty Acids; Furans; Iridoid Glucosides; Iridoids; Lignans; Oleanolic Acid; Olive Oil; Oxidation-Reduction; Palmitic Acid; Phenols; Phytosterols; Plant Oils; Pyrans; Sitosterols; Species Specificity; Triglycerides; Triterpenes; Tunisia

The first phytochemical study of Simira eliezeriana Peixoto (Rubiaceae) allowed the isolation and structural determination of two new diterpenes named simirane A [(5R,6R,8R,9R,10S,11S,13S)-6β,11β-dihydroxy-2,4(18),15-erythroxylatrien-1-one] (1) and simirane B [(5S,8R,9R,10S,11S,13S)-11β-hydroxy-2,4(18),15-erythroxylatrien-1-one] (2), together with seven known compounds: sitosterol (3), stigmasterol (4), campesterol (5), coniferaldehyde (6), vanillin (7), pinoresinol (8) and harman (9) from the bark of the plant. The structures of the compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic methods, including 1-D and 2-D NMR, HRESI-MS and CD analysis and comparisons with available literature data of known compounds.

Topics: Acrolein; Benzaldehydes; Cholesterol; Diterpenes; Ethanol; Furans; Harmine; Lignans; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Molecular Structure; Phytosterols; Plant Bark; Plant Extracts; Rubiaceae; Sitosterols

A new isoflavone, 4',5,7-trihydroxy-6,8-dimethylisoflavone (1), and a new sesterterpenoic acid (2), together with five known compounds, lichexanthone (3), (-)-pinoresinol (4), betulinic acid, palmitic acid, and beta-sitosterol, were isolated from a dichloromethane extract of the branches of Henriettella fascicularis. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic methods. An attempt to determine the absolute stereochemistry of (2E,6S)-6-[(1R,5Z,3aS,9R,10Z,12aR)-1,2,3,3a,4,7,8,9,12,12a-decahydro-9-hydroxy-3a,6,10-trimethylcyclopentanocycloundecen-1-yl]-2-methylhept-2-enoic acid (2) was performed by single-crystal X-ray analysis, using Cu Kalpha radiation. Compound 1 showed significant competitive binding to estrogen receptor beta and moderate antiestrogenic activity with cultured Ishikawa cells.

Topics: Alkaline Phosphatase; Binding Sites; Cell Line; Crystallography, X-Ray; Endometrium; Estrogen Antagonists; Estrogen Receptor Modulators; Female; Furans; Humans; Isoflavones; Lignans; Melastomataceae; Methylation; Molecular Conformation; Molecular Structure; Palmitic Acid; Panama; Phytosterols; Plant Shoots; Plants, Medicinal; Sitosterols; Stereoisomerism; Terpenes