Isolation and characterization of N-heptacosanyl oleate from the whole aerial parts of centella asiatica linn

Abstract

Various studies have already been performed involving the whole aerial parts of Centella asiatica (L.) (Umbelliferae), commonly known as gotu kola or jalbrahmi, and thus, the present investigation has been carried out for the phytochemical study of an ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of C. asiatica. To perform this activity, the drug (1.5 kg) was exhaustively extracted in 95% ethanol using Soxhlet apparatus. The column chromatography was performed then for isolating the various phytoconstituents using the solvents of increasing polarity from petroleum ether to methanol. The isolated compounds were structurally elucidated using various spectral data analysis, i.e. infrared,1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR),13C NMR, and positive ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. One of the isolated compounds was characterized as n-heptacosanyl oleate.