Antioxidant quinonemethide triterpenes from Salacia campestris.

A new quinonemethide triterpene named as salacin, has been isolated from the root bark of Salacia campestris in addition to the known pristimerin, maytenin, 20alpha-hydroxymaytenin, and netzahualcoyene. Salacin was identified on the basis of NMR-spectral and mass spectrometric analysis. The free-radical scavenging activities of the quinonemethide triterpenes salacin (1), pristimerin (2), maytenin (3), 20alpha-hydroxymaytenin (4), and netzahualcoyene (5) towards DPPH have been evaluated and showed absorbance variation (deltaA) of 19, 20, 39, 28, 55, and 10%, respectively, having rutin (74% at 50 microM) and BHT (7% at 50 microM) as standard compounds.