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Di-alkyl substituted phenol from <i>Acalypha wilkesiana var. golden-yellow</i> (Muell & Arg.)


Olawale H. Oladimeji
Cyril O. Usifoh
Victor U. Anah

Abstract

Acalypha wilkesiana var. golden-yellow (Muell & Arg.) is a species and variety used in native medicine for the management or treatment of headache, gastrointestinal disorders, wounds, tumors and skin infections amongst many others. Before now, two compounds namely, 4-ethoxy-4-oxobutanoic acid (ethyl succinate) and 2-ethoxy- 5(hydroxymethyl)-oxalane-3, 4-diol (ethyl β-riboside) have been obtained from the butanol fraction. This present study was carried out by subjecting one of the residues obtained from the processing of plant to column chromatography. A phenol designated as W-3(I) [Rf (0.42); m.pt. (88-90 0C] was isolated whose identity has been established to be 3, 5-Di-t-butyl phenol (3, 5-Di-t-butyl hydroxy benzene) using the 1H NMR, 13C NMR, MS and IR spectral techniques. W-3(I) was non-suppressive of B. subtilis, S. typhi and V. cholerae but recorded minimal activity against S. aureus, E. coli and Ps. aeruginosa. However, the compound gave no anticandidal activity. The compound would serve as chemotaxonomic marker for this species and variety in particular and the genus, Acalypha in general.

Keywords: Phenol; Chemotaxonomic; Acalypha wilkesiana var. golden-yellow (Muell & Arg.)


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eISSN: 0189-8442