GC–MS analysis of the essential oils, and the isolation of phenylpropanoid derivatives from the aerial parts of Pimpinella aurea

Abstract A combination of vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) and preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC) of the dichloromethane extract of the aerial parts of the Iranian plant Pimpinella aurea afforded two phenylpropanoids, erythro -1′-(4-methoxyphenyl)-propan-1′,2′-diol ( 1 ) and erythro -1′-[4-( sec -butyl)-phenyl]-propan-1′,2′-diol ( 2 ), the latter being a natural product. The structures of these compounds were determined by spectroscopic means. The antioxidant properties of these compounds were assessed by the DPPH assay. The GC–MS analysis of the essential oils of P. aurea provided a chemical profile that was significantly different from the previously published reports.