Chromatographic study of vitex chloroform extract / Wan Norsuhada Wan Mohd Mustapha

Medicinal plants have gained the interest of many researchers from all over the world. In the countries, herbal medicine has remained as the main therapy due to the availability and perhaps culture preferences. The researchers from various disciplines challenged their great concerned to discover the benefit of the medical plants by using modern medicinal equipment. In this study, the investigation of Vitex trifolia was limited to characterizing the constituents from the chloroform extract of the leaves. Further studies were considered to be interesting as the benefits of Vitex species were traditionally approved used to treat wide range of ailment. The extracts were introduced to thin layer chromatography (TLC) to clarify the bands. The band which contained interesting compounds was subjected to silica column chromatography. Fractions collected were again introduced to TLC. The chemical composition of the crude drug extract were analyzed and observed under ultraviolet light. Compounds of interest were subjected to Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). From NMR, two compounds, compound 2 and compound 4 can be suggested. Compound 2 was suggested to have polymethoxyl and methyl substituents similar to which present in ecdysteroid group. Meanwhile compound 4 was suggested as quercetin pentamethyl ether.