Phytochemical constituents and preliminary toxicity evaluation of leaves from Rourea induta Planch. (Connaraceae)

Most active plants are toxic at high doses and it is therefore important to investigate the preliminary toxicity of plant extracts. The Rourea induta species is a potential drug with no phytochemical or biological studies registered in the literature. Thus, a phytochemical study and a toxicity analysis of the ethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of Rourea induta Planch., Connaraceae, was run. A long chain hydrocarbon, n-tetracosane, and four flavonoids were identified: quercetin, and three glycosylated derivates, quercetin-3-O-alpha-arabinofuranoside, quercetin-3-O-beta-xyloside and quercetin-3-O-beta-galactoside. This is the first time these have been isolated in this species. The structures were elucidated by C-13 NMR, H-1 NMR, UV and IR spectroscopy. The toxicity evaluation of extracts was performed by the brine shrimp method and determination of hemolytic activity. The samples demonstrated no toxic potential by the analyzed methods.