Volatile and Non-volatile Phytochemicals from Roots and Leaves of Heracleum lasiopetalum and their Radical Scavenging Ability
Heracleum lasiopetalum belongs to the Apiaceae family and is native to Iran. The fruits and seeds of the herb are used as spices and food additives. The genus has significant pharmacological activities. In order to study the phytochemicals of H. lasiopetalum, aerial parts of the plant were conducted to a separation process. Different chromatographic techniques were employed for the purification of its natural products. The chemical structure of the isolated metabolites was determined using spectroscopic methods such as NMR and IR as well as elemental analysis. Moreover, the essential oil composition of roots and aerial parts of the herb were characterized using GC-MS analysis. The purified compounds were elucidated as beta-sitosterol (plant steroid) and suberosin (coumarin). Identification of essential oil composition showed that 17 and 12 volatile compounds were present in the aerial parts and roots of the herb, respectively. Germacrene D, falcarinol, farnesol, and octanal were found as the major components. Findings showed that H. lasiopetalum contains important natural products such as steroids, coumarins, monoterpenoids, and sesquiterpenoids. According to its bioactive products, this herb could be considered for more applications in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.