Note A new friedelane triterpene ester from Pouzolzia indica

Pouzolzia indica Gaud. syn. P. zeylanica Benn, a perennial herb about 15-30 cm long with leaves of 23.8 cm long ovate or ovate lanceolate, is grown wild throughout India and its neighbouring countries 1 . In traditional medicine, the plant is used for treatment of syphilis, gonorrhoea, sores and boils, stomachache, vermicide and snake-poison 1,2 . The chemical and biological work on this plant has been limited to a report on the isolation of a prenylated isoflavone 3 and anti-snake venom activity of crude aqueous and alcoholic extracts against Russell’s viper venom 4 and cytotoxic effect against CCRF-CEM cells 5 . The biological therapeautic significance of this plant has stimulated us for reinvestigation. In this paper we describe the isolation and structure elucidation of a new friedelane triterpene ester 1 along with three known compounds 2-4 from this plant.