ISSN 2395-3411 Available online at www.ijpacr.com 190 International Journal of Pharma And Chemical Research I Volume 3 I Issue 2 I Apr – Jun I 2017 _________________________________________________________Research Article Isolation of Sterols, Triterpenoids and a Sesquaterpene from the Leaves of Ficus nitida Thunb. Mohammed Ali 1 *, Shahnaz Sultana 1,2 and Showkat Rasool Mir 1 1 Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi - 110 062, India. 2 College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia. __________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Ficus nitida Thunb., syn. F. benjamina (Moraceae), is an evergreen, lacticiferous flowering plant native to south-eastern Asia and Australia. The plant is used to treat influenza, dysentery, malaria, respiratory track diseases, bruises, wound, skin disorders, inflammation, piles, vomiting, leprosy, malaria, nose-diseases, cancer as a general tonic. The dried leaf powder of F. nitida was extracted with methanol exhaustively and the combined extracts were concentrated to get a dark brown viscous mass. It was dissolved in minimum amount of methanol, adsorbed on silica gel for column air-dried and chromatographed over a silica gel column packed in petroleum ether. The column was eluted successively with various combinations of petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol in order of increasing polarity to isolate a new sesquaterpene (ficusesquaterpene) along with the known compounds stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, friedelin and β-amyrin. The structures of all the isolated phytoconstituents have been established on the basis of spectral data analysis and chemical reactions. Keywords: Ficus nitida, leaves, sterol, triterpenoids, ficusesquaterpene, isolation. INTRODUCTION Ficus nitida Thunb., syn. F. benjamina (Moraceae), commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree, is an evergreen, lacticiferous flowering plant native to eastern Asia and Australia. It is distributed in China, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, Pacific Islands and is the official tree of Bangkok. It is a fast growing shrub or tree, up to 30 m tall, multiple-stemmed , spreading , strangler with multiple aerial stilt roots, stem with white latex, drooping foliage, ripe fruit red –orange, extensive and strong root system. The thick, shiny, alternate, simple, entire, elliptic, two to five-inch-long, evergreen leaves generously clothe the long branches. The branches weep toward the ground forming a canopy so dense that nothing grows beneath them. The axillary, unisexual, monoecious flowers are borne in the fig body. The fruits are fleshy, obovoid or subglobose, turn yellow via orange and dark red 1-2 . The plant is used to treat influenza and dysentery, malaria and respiratory track diseases. The latex mixed with alcohol is used to relieve shocks 2 . The bark of the root, the root itself, and the leaves are boiled in oil and applied on wounds and bruises. The bark juice is utilized in the Philippines to cure liver diseases. The pounded leaves and bark are used as a poultice to alleviate rheumatic pain. The aerial root is taken as a diuretic and to prevent kidney disfunction with mucous, yellow or red urine, abnormal diseases and frequent urination. The plant sap from all plant parts possesses the toxic principles furocoumarins, psoralens, and ficin, which cause minor skin irritation, itching of the eyes, cough and wheezing 3,4 . Its latex and fruit extracts are useful to subside skin disorders, inflammation, piles, vomiting, leprosy, malaria, nose-diseases, cancer and as a general tonic. The plant is also useful as antimicrobial, antinociceptive, antipyretic, hypotensive and anti-dysentery remedy. The leaves and twigs are used as insect repellant 5-7 .