Anthraquinones and pre-anthraquinones from the subterranean stems of three Kenyan aloe species of the saponariae group

Abstract

Some Aloe species are cultivated for their medicinal and cosmetic properties. In this study, the constituents of three Kenyan Aloe species, A. kilifiensis; A. lateritia and A. graminicolla werecharacterized. Anumber of anthraquinones and pre-anthraquinones were isolated. They included chrysophanol , aloe saponarin I and II, helminthosporin, asphodelin, di-aloesaponarin, pre-chrysophanol (L), aloesaponol I & n, asphodelin-lO-rhamnoside (2), 10- (chrysophanol-7'-yl)-lO-hydroxychrysophanol-9-anthrone(3). Compound 2 was obtained for the first time from the genus Aloe. The structure elucidation and the chemotaxonomic significance of some of these compounds will be presented.