Isolation and Characterization of Lupeol , a Triterpenoid from Calotropis Gigantea Latex

Natural products and herbal remedies used in traditional folklore medicine have been the source of many medically beneficial drugs because they elicit fewer side effects, relatively cheap, affordable and claimed to be effective. However, in order to make these remedies acceptable to modern medicine, there is a need to scientifically evaluate them to identify the active principles and to understand their mechanism of action. Calotropis gigantea R.Br. (Asclepiadaceae), commonly known as milk weed or swallow-wort, is a medicinal plant widely used as a folk medicine in India. It exhibits a wide array of pharmacological activities including wound healing and antimicrobial properties. Lupeol, a pentacyclic triterpenoid was extracted for the first time from the latex of Calotropis gigantea and characterized by spectral studies. The presence of lupeol in the latex in appreciable amounts may account for its various biological activities.