IDENTIFICATION OF TRITERPENES AND STEROLS FROM PTEROGYNE NITENS (FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE) USING HIGH-RESOLUTION GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY

As part of our ongoing bioprospecting studies on secondary metabolites in plants of Cerrado and Atlantic Rain Forest of S o Paulo State (Brazil), we describe the identification of triterpenes and sterols present in the hexane extracts and foliar epicuticular wax of Pterogyne nitens Tulasne (Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae) using high resolution gas chromatography. Compounds detected in these extracts include -amyrin (1), taraxerol acetate (2), lupenone (3), -amyrenone (4), germanicone (5), campesterol (6), stigmasterol (7), and -sitosterol (8). The method reported herein is shown to be a rapid, sensitive and reproducible tool for describing triterpenes and sterols present in non-polar extracts.