Author(s):

Tegene Tesfaye Tole and Yeshi Teferra Saifu

Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the phytochemical constituents of the root of Withania somnifera and the resin of Commiphora kataf. Investigation of the phytochemicals on the root of Withania somnifera was first performed with phytochemical screening of the secondary metabolites using the standard procedures. This was followed by chromatographic isolation of compound and structure elucidation. Phytochemical screening of the crude extract revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, and glycosides. One compound was isolated from the chloroform extract and its structure was characterized by using the spectroscopic techniques (UV, IR, and NMR) and comparison with reported literature. The root extract of Withania somnifera yielded the pharmacologically active compound (1R, 3aR, 5aR, 5bR, 7aR, 9S, 11aR, 11bR, 13aR, 13bR)-3a, 5a, 5b, 8, 8, 11a-hexamethyl-1-prop-1-en-2-yl-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7a, 9, 10, 11, 11b, 12, 13, 13a, 13b-hexadecahydrocyclopenta[a]chrysen-9-ol commonly known as lupeol, clerodol, monogynol B, or farganasterol. The essential oil of the resin from Commiphora kataf was isolated by hydro-distillation and the components were identified by GC and GC/MS analysis. The main components of the essential oil were the industrially important constituents: α-pinene (6.2%), β-cadinene (6.7%), α-copaene (29%) and trans-caryophyllene (33%).

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