Phenolic Constituents from Alchornea castaneifolia

Alchornea castaneifolia is a tree growing commonly in several South American countries. It is best known under its Peruvian name Iporuru. The leaves are being used as a folk remedy against numerous symptoms associated with pain and inflammation. It has a reputation for being a tonic and booster of male libido. In this study, using a combination of chromatographic techniques, we isolated phenolic constituents present in leaves, and elucidated their structures using MS and NMR techniques. The isolated and characterized compounds were myricetin glucoside, myricetin galactoside, proanthocyanidin A1 and A2, epicatechin, gallic acid, shikimic acid, putranjivain A, elaeocarpusin and never before isolated methyl ester of repandusinic acid A.