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Characterization of birch tree leaves, buds and bark dry extracts with antitumor activity

C. A. DEHELEAN1, S. CÎNTĂ PÎNZARU2,* , C. I. PEEV1, C. SOICA1, D. S. ANTAL1

Affiliation

  1. “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, RO- 300041, Timişoara, România
  2. Babeş-Bolyai University, Molecular Spectroscopy Dept., Kogălniceanu 1, RO- 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract

The main compounds from Betula pendula Roth birch tree leaves bark and buds extracts are the saponins and especially triterpenes, which proved an antitumor activity. In order to monitor the presence of the pentacyclic triterpene within the extracts content, vibrational FTIR and FT-Raman spectra of the betulinic acid, betulin and lupeol have been recorded and assigned. The aim of the present study was to characterise the vegetal samples obtained from birch tree employing vibrational spectroscopy and TLC densitometry techniques. The FT-vibrational spectra of the extracts exhibit the characteristic spectral feature of the skeletal triterpene modes, betulin species being considered as dominant. The extract compounds present an increasing interest because they can be applied on therapy if they are rich in the specific compounds. The description of the differences between the vegetal parts in the dry extracts is important in correlating with the differences linked to antitumor/toxic activity. The results indicate differences between the tested samples with higher content of betulin in the bark ones..

Keywords

Antitumor activity, Birch tree leaves, FT-IR, FT-Raman.

Submitted at: Nov. 15, 2006
Accepted at: March 15, 2007

Citation

C. A. DEHELEAN, S. CÎNTĂ PÎNZARU, C. I. PEEV, C. SOICA, D. S. ANTAL, Characterization of birch tree leaves, buds and bark dry extracts with antitumor activity, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 9, Iss. 3, pp. 783-787 (2007)