Chemical constituents of Abrus precatorius

Abstract

The dichloromethane extract of the pericarp of Abrus precatorius afforded abrusogenin, saturated monoglyceride and unsaturated triglyceride. The seeds yielded a mixture of stigmasterol and b-sitosterol in a 4:1 ratio, while the peduncle afforded unsaturated triglyceride. The structures of 1 and saturated monoglyceride were elucidated by extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The structures of triglyceride, stigmasterol and b-sitosterol were identified by comparison of their 13C NMR data with those reported in the literature. Antimicrobial tests on 1, monoglyceride and triglyceride indicated that they are active against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, C. albicans and T. mentagrophytes. All compounds tested are inactive against A. niger, while only 1 is active against E. coli.