Abstract:
Eight triterpenes were isolated from the methanol extract of Galbanum by various chromatographic methods including silica gel, ODS opening column, recrystallization and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods and physicochemical properties as 3
β,19
α,21
α-trihydroxyl-12-en-28-oic acid (
1), sumaresinolic acid (
2), 3
β,19
α-dihydroxyl-12-en-28-oic acid (
3), oleanolic acid (
4), 3
β,6
β,19
α-trihydroxyl-12-en-28-oic acid (
5), 19
α-hydroxy oleanonic acid (
6), 6
α-hydroxy oleanonic acid (
7), and (11
R,12
R)-3
α,6
α-dihydroxy-epoxyolean-28
α,13
α-olide (
8). Among them, compound
1 is a new compound, while compounds
2-
8 were newly isolated from the Apiaceae family. The ability of compounds
1-
8 to inhibit cholinesterase was determined with an improved Ellman method. Compound
1 showed strong inhibitory activity against butyrylcholinesterase. The molecular docking results indicated that Trp82, His438, Phe329 and Ala328 played an important role in the binding of compound
1 to butyrylcholinesterase.