Isolation and Characterisation of Chemical Constituents From Aerial Parts of Cardiospermum halicacabum

Cardiospermum halicacabum or the "balloon vine" is a medicinal plant that belongs to the Sapindaceae family. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify its chemical constituents and derive insights into its pharmacological prospects. The aerial parts of Cardiospermum halicacabum were collected, washed, and dried at room temperature. The dried plant material was powdered and extracted using solvents such as petroleum ether, acetone, chloroform, and ethanol. The extractive values were calculated for each solvent. The extracts were analyzed by preliminary phytochemical screening to identify bioactive secondary metabolites. The active compounds were isolated by column chromatography and recrystallization methods. Thin-layer chromatography, high-performance thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and other spectroscopic methods have been used for compound identification. Phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of saponins, phytosterols, triterpenoids, alkaloids, carbohydrates, proteins, and free amino acids in the extract. The isolated compound had a molecular formula of C39H56O2, a molecular weight of 557 g/mol, and a melting point of 145°C. Structural elucidation using IR, NMR, and MS confirmed that the compound was [(3S,4aR,6aR,6bS,8aR,11R,12S,12aR,14aR,14bR)-4,4,6a,6b,8a,11,12,14b-octamethyl-2,3,4a,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,12a,14,14a-tetradecahydro-1H-picen-3-yl] (E) 3-phenylprop-2-enoate. This research was able to isolate and identify a bioactive compound from Cardiospermum halicacabum, validating its chemical profile. The diverse array of chemical constituents suggests a significant pharmacological potential, supporting further exploration of this plant for medicinal applications.