Phytochemical analysis of non-polar solvent extracts of the Wisteria sinensis leaves

A comparative study on the phytochemical composition of the n-hexane and chloroform extracts from Wisteria sinensis leaves collected in June and October is described. Continuous extraction in Soxhlet apparatus, as well as ultrasound-assisted technique, was used for the preparation of the extracts. All the extracts were analysed by GC/MS method. As a result, α-tocopherol was identified as the main component (56%) of the extracts from October leaves, whereas, β-sitosterol was identified as the main compound (47%) in the extracts from the June leaves. Additionally, pure α-tocopherol was isolated from n-hexane extract of the October leaves using column chromatography. A total of 6.25 mg of α-tocopherol was isolated from 1 g of dried leaves. The presence of the vitamin E in extracts from W. sinensis leaves is described here for the first time.