Chemical constituents of Lavatera trimestris L.--antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

Nine phenolic compounds, such as cis-/trans-p-coumaric acid, cis-/trans-p-coumaric acid methyl ester, glucose ester of cis-/trans-p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid methyl ester, kaempferol 7-O-beta-D-glucoside and kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, were isolated from Lavatera trimestris flowers by chromatographic techniques and their structures were elucidated by spectral means (NMR). All compounds were tested for their antioxidant activity, while the methanolic extract was tested also for its antimicrobial activity. Also several non-polar constituents have been identified using GC and GC/MS methods. This is the first time that phenolic esters and non-polar constituents were identified in the flowers of L. trimestris L.