Probing for the presence of glucosinolates in three Drypetes spp. (Drypetes euryodes (Hiern) Hutch., Drypetes gossweileri S. Moore, Drypetes laciniata Hutch.) and two Rinorea spp. (Rinorea subintegrifolia O. Ktze and Rinorea woermanniana (Büttner) Engl.) from Gabon

Abstract

Drypetes euryodes (Hiern) Hutch., Drypetes gossweileri S. Moore, Drypetes laciniata Hutch. (Putranjivaceae), Rinorea subintegrifolia O. Ktze, and Rinorea woermanniana (Büttner) Engl. (Violaceae) from Gabon were probed for the presence of glucosinolates (GLs). When present, the GLs were identified and quantified by HPLC analysis. 2-Hydroxy-2-methyl GL (1) was the major GL in the cork of D. euryodes. Moreover, 4-hydroxybenzyl GL (2) was the major GL in the seed of D. gossweileri whereas the bark contained 2 as the minor GL and benzyl GL (3) was the major one. In addition, 4-methoxybenzyl GL (4), 3-methoxybenzyl GL (5), and 3 were found in the root of R. subintegrifolia. However, no GL was detected in D. laciniata (leaf and stem), D. euryodes (leaf and stem), and R. woermanniana (leaf and stem-branch). Our results support the hypothesis of the existence of GLs in plants of the Putranjivaceae and Violaceae families (order Malpighiales).

Keywords:

• Drypetes spp
• Rinorea spp
• glucosinolates
• Malpighiales

Acknowledgements

The authors are mostly grateful to Mr R. Niangadouma, from the National Herbarium of the Institute of Pharmacopoeia and Traditional Medicine (IPHAMETRA) for his assistance with the collection and identification of plant materials.