Phytoconstituents from Alpinia purpurata and their in vitro inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Oliver B Villaflores1, Allan Patrick G Macabeo1, Dietmar Gehle2, Karsten Krohn2, Scott G Franzblau3, Alicia M Aguinaldo1
1 Phytochemistry Laboratory, Research Center for the Natural Sciences, Thomas Aquinas Research Complex, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila 1015, Philippines 2 University of Paderborn, Department of Chemistry, Warburgerstrasse 100, 33098 Paderborn, Germany 3 Institute for TB Research, College of Pharmacy, MC 964 Rm 412, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 S. Wood St., Chicago, Illinois 60612-7231, USA
Correspondence Address:
Alicia M Aguinaldo Phytochemistry Laboratory, Research Center for the Natural Sciences, Thomas Aquinas Research Complex, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila 1015 Philippines
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |

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Alpinia purpurata or red ginger was studied for its phytochemical constituents as part of our growing interest on Philippine Zingiberaceae plants that may exhibit antimycobacterial activity. The hexane and dichloromethane subextracts of the leaves were fractionated and purified using silica gel chromatography to afford a mixture of C 28 to C 32 fatty alcohols, a 3-methoxyflavone and two steroidal glycosides. The two latter metabolites were spectroscopically identified as kumatakenin (1), sitosteryl-3-O-6-palmitoyl-β-D-glucoside (2) and β-sitosteryl galactoside (3 ) using UV, IR, EIMS and NMR experiments, and by comparison with literature data. This study demonstrates for the first time the isolation of these constituents from A. purpurata. In addition to the purported anti-inflammatory activity, its phytomedicinal potential to treat tuberculosis is also described. |