Abstract
Two triterpenes 3α-hydroxy-arbor-12-ene-28-carboxylic acid named as crotalic acid (
1), and 2β,3β,21-trihydroxy-arbor-12-ene-29-carboxylic acid, named as emarginellic acid (
2) were obtained from
Crotalaria emarginella. The crotalic acid
1 exhibited 53% anti-inflammatory activity with respect oxyphenyl butazone (69%), and 30% anti-hepatotoxic activity with respect silybon-70 (57%).
The aerial parts of
Crotalaria emarginella Vatke (Leguminosae) has afforded two triterpenes, characterized as 3α-hydroxy-arbor-12-ene-28-carboxylic acid, designated as crotalic acid (
1), and 2β,3β,21-trihydroxy-arbor-12-ene-29-carboxylic acid, designated as emarginellic acid (
2). The structures of the isolated products were elucidated on the basis of spectral and chemical studies. On screening the biological activity, the crotalic acid (
1) exhibited a significant anti-inflammatory activity (dose: 10
mg/kg), which showed 53% inhibitory effect. Whereas, the standard oxyphenyl butazone (100
mg/kg) exhibited 69% inhibition with respect to carrageenan (0.05
ml, 1%) used to cause inflammation in rat paw method. In addition, it also showed anti-hepatotoxic activity by 13–30% with respect to standard silybon-70 (35–57%) against CCl
4 induced toxicity in Wistar rats.