Characterization of potential hypoglycaemic agents from Tapinanthus sessilifolius Parasitic on Psidium guajava

Abstract

Tapinanthus sessilifolius (Loranthaceae) (P. Beauv) Blume. commonly known as African mistletoe is a well-known medicinal plant in Africa and Europe. A bioassay-guided isolation of the plant constituents was carried out to identify potential anti-hyperglycemic agents. The hexane extract was discovered to be active which yielded two triterpenoids; betulinic acid and lupeol, responsible for the activity and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques. Other compounds from this plant identified by GC MS technique were palmitic acid, hexadecanoic acid and stearic acid