Isolation of Geranylated Chalcone from Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Terminalia Browni

Terminalia brownii is a leafy deciduous tree spirally arranged and crowded at the end of branches, The plant is widely distributed in Northern part of Nigeria and some part of Africa like Congo, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and Tanzania. It is mostly used traditionally in the treatment of gastric ulcers, epilepsy, colitis, jaundice, fungal infection, diarrhea, malaria, hepatitis and allergic reactions. The aim of the study is to isolate secondary metabolites from the ethyl acetate fraction of Terminalia brownii. The plant material was extracted using cold maceration method with 70% methanol. The crude methanol extract was subjected to partitioning using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol to give the respective fractions. The ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to extensive column chromatographic techniques using silica gel and Sepahdex LH20. The structure of the compound isolated was elucidated with the aid of physical and chemical tests, UV, IR, 1D, 2D NMR analysis, and literature data. Column chromatographic separation of ethyl acetate fraction led to the isolation of a yellowish amorphous substance as 4’-hydroxy-3-methoxy-4-prenyloxy chalcone (geranylated chalcone). The plant is a rich source of secondary metabolites. The compound was reported for the first time from the plant and contribute to the taxonomy of the plant..