Abstract

Ficus religiosa Linn. (Moraceae) is cultivated in south-eastern Asia as a holy tree. Its bark is used to treat anxiety, burns, diarrhoea, dysentery, gastrohelcosis, glandular swellings of the neck, gonorrhoea, hiccup, piles, skin diseases, scabies, urinogenital disorders, vomiting and to improve the complexion. Phytochemical investigation of the methanolic extract of F. religiosa bark led to the isolation of two new naphthyl esters characterized as naphthyl-1ʹ,3ʹ-diol-1ʹ-(3β-lanost-5,24-dienyl)-3ʹ-n-octadec- 9ʹʹ,12ʹʹ,15ʹʹ-trienoate (1) and naphthyl-1ʹ,3ʹ-diol-1ʹ-(3β-lanostan-19-oic acid-yl)-3ʹ- n-octadec-9ʹʹ,12ʹʹ-dienoate (3) and a new triterpenic ester lanostan-19-oic acid-3β-olyl-n-octadec-9ʹ,12ʹ,15ʹ-trienoate (2) along with the known steroids β-sitosteryl oleate (4) and β -sitosterol glucoside (5). The structures of all these isolated phytoconstituents were established on the basis of spectral data analysis and chemical reactions.

Keywords: Ficus religiosa, lanostanoic acid linoleinate, Moraceae, naphthadiolyl linoleinate, naphthyl ester, β-Sitosteryl oleate.

Graphical Abstract