Chemical investigation of the medicinal and ornamental plant Angelonia angustifolia Benth. reveals therapeutic quantities of lupeol

The commercially available plant, Angelonia angustifolia, was probed for anti-inflammatory properties due to its uses in traditional Latin American medicine. Its purported uses range from an anti-inflammatory agent and analgesic, to an anti-hyperlipidemic type drug. A. angustifolia was extracted and the extract was purified via vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) to obtain the major component. Quantification and structure elucidation were achieved using data from LC/MS and NMR studies, respectively, and the active molecule was determined to be the triterpenoid compound lupeol. The high concentration of lupeol (> 9 mg/g in the roots), a known anti-inflammatory compound, found in A. angustifolia explains its indigenous uses in Latin America. Furthermore, this study suggests that A. angustifolia would be a convenient source of lupeol.