A rapid method for the isolation of swertiamarin from Enicostemma littorale

Abstract

We report a simple method for the isolation of swertiamarin, a secoiridoid glycoside, from the whole plant of Enicostemma littorale Blume. Methanol extract of defatted plant material when treated with diethyl ether gave a precipitate containing swertiamarin as one of the major components. Swertiamarin was separated from this precipitate by column chromatography over silica gel. The identity of the compound isolated was confirmed through infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectra and melting point and co-chromatography with a reference standard on thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The purity of the compound was confirmed from the UV absorption spectrum, NMR, mass, high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), and differential scanning calorimetry.