ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL LUPANE-TYPE TRITERPENOID FROM THE LEAVES OF Piliostigma thonningii

A novel lupane-type triterpenoid identified as lup-12,20(29)-diene-3,28-diol was isolated from the chloroform extract of the leaves of Piliostigma thonningii. The compound gave a retention factor (Rf) value of 0.78 on TLC developed in a solvent system of 100% CHCl3 (100 ml). The structure of the compound was elucidated using spectral methods such as FT-IR, 13C NMR, 1H NMR, DEPT, COSY, HSQC, HMBC and mass spectrometry. This is the first report on the isolation of a novel lupane-type triterpenoid from the leaves of Piliostigma thonningii.