Secondary metabolites from Morinda elliptica leaves and root extracts and their antioxidant activities

The isolation and purification of dichloromethane fraction of the root bark extract and leaves extract of Morinda elliptica using different chromatographic methods have led to a total of five metabolites. Their structures were elucidated using various spectral data and were confirmed as benzaldehyde (1), 2-hydroxy-1-methoxyanthracene-9,10-quinone (2), dehydroabietic acid (3), and 3-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one (4), which were extracted from the root, while methyl cinnamate (5) was successfully isolated from the leaves extract. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil assay revealed that dichloromethane and methanol fractions of the leaves and root extracts demonstrated strong antioxidant activities, which were comparable with ascorbic acid. Hexane and ethyl acetate fractions showed weak antioxidant activities. This study showed that M. elliptica has a beneficial effect, considering the virtue of its antioxidant properties. These isolated compounds (1-4) were reported for the first time in the root bark extract of M. elliptica and contributed to the chemotaxonomic importance of M. elliptica. Dehydroabietic acid (3) which is claimed to be a key to active compounds in treating acute stroke, epilepsy, asthma, hypertension, gastric hypermotility, and psychoses, has further added to the medicinal value of M. elliptica.