NMR characterization of stigmasterol in Emilia coccinea (Sims) G. Don leaves dichloromethane fraction

Abstract

Natural product research holds great potential for the discovery of new drug leads. It has been established that natural plant products are used to cure and manage various human diseases. The leaves of Emilia coccinea (Sims) G. Don (genus Emilia) have long been used in African Traditional Medicine for their anti-cholesterolemic, cardiovascular, and wound-healing benefits. Consistent with existing literature, this study confirms the presence of stigmasterol as a major component in E. coccinea leaves through ¹D NMR (1H NMR and 13C NMR) and FT-IR analysis of its dichloromethane extract. Previous research has reported stigmasterol as a potent hypolipidemic and anti-obesity agent. Based on the comparison of its physical and spectroscopic features with existing literature, our work describes the method of isolation and NMR structure elucidation of stigmasterol obtained from E. coccinea leaves. While stigmasterol has previously been isolated from E. coccinea leaves using hexane and ethyl acetate, our research validates its isolation using dichloromethane as an alternative method. This ensures reproducibility and offers methodological flexibility for future research. Finally, we affirm that Emilia coccinea can serve as a new source of stigmasterol, a potent therapeutic agent, and could be a useful lead in the research and development of nutraceuticals for various diseases.