Phytochemical analysis of Echinops macrophyllus Boiss & Hausskn

Echinops macrophyllus Boiss & Hausskn, also known as “Shekartighal kohgiluyeh” in Persian, is a prickly perennial herbaceous plant. Various species within the genus Echinops have traditionally been used as remedies for severe coughs, nervous attacks, and infectious diseases. This study aimed to isolate and elucidate the structures of the compounds found in the aerial parts of E. macrophyllus. The ethyl acetate extract from the aerial parts of the plant was fractionated using column chromatography. The structures of the isolated compounds were characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 1H-1H COSY, HSQC-DEPT, HMBC and NOESY techniques. Phytochemical analysis of the plant resulted in the isolation of six compounds (1-6), including one triterpenoid (α-amyrin) (4), three sterols involving 3-O-[β-D-(6’-tetradecanoate)-glucopyranosyl]-β-sitosterol (6), β-sitosterol (3), and daucosterol (5) as well as two phenolic compounds, namely p-hydroxybenzoic acid (1) and ethyl-2-hydroxy-trans-cinamate (2), from this species for the first time. It is noteworthy that these compounds have previously been reported to exhibit various biological activities.