Chemical and biological investigations of Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr

Abstract

Two compounds namely lupeol (1) and epilupeol (2) were isolated from n-hexane soluble fraction of crude methanol extract of the powdered whole plant of Samanea saman Merr. for the first time. The structures of the isolated compounds were established by extensive analyses of their high resolution NMR spectral data as well as co- TLC with authentic samples. In our preliminary screening, the n-hexane, carbon tetrachloride, and dichloromethane soluble fractions of the crude methanolic extract of S. saman were subjected to antimicrobial activity and brine shrimp lethality bioassay. The carbon tetrachloride soluble partitionate of the methanol extract exhibited mild to moderate antimicrobial activity and strong cytotoxicity having LC50 of 0.831μg/ml.