Phytochemical Profile of Rock Jasmine (Androsace foliosa Duby ex Decne) by Using HPLC and GC–MS Analyses

Androsace foliosa, also known as rock jasmine and a member of the Primulaceae family, is an important medicinal plant with a wide range of applications such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, abortifacient, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancerous, anti-inflammatory as well as a flavor enhancer, as insecticidal, as a spice and commonly found in Pakistan. The current study was planned to identify the phytochemical constituents of A. foliosa roots and leaves extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS). HPLC results showed the presence of important phenolic and flavonoids such as gallic acid, rutin and quercetin in A. foliosa leaves and roots crude methanolic extracts. GC–MS analysis of A. foliosa n-hexane leaves fraction revealed the presence of nine pharmacologically active compounds such as hydroxylamine-O-decyl, butanoic acid heptafluoro, sulfurous acid 2-propyl heptyl ester, E-15-heptadecenal, eicosane 9-cyclohexyl, (Z,E)-tetradeca-9,12-dienyl acetate, octadecyl-propane-1,3-diol, di-isobutyl phthalates, aspidofractinine-3-methanol, 17-methoxy-, acetate (ester). Besides, E-15-heptadecenal (34%) and hydroxylamine-O-decyl (30%) are major compounds occurring in A. foliosa n-hexane leaves fraction. As phytochemical constituents present in A. foliosa extracts have been identified, it could be an important medicinal plant to isolate the pharmacologically active compounds to manage different diseases and A. foliosa might play an important role in clinical science, particularly in drug development.