Phytochemical and Biological Studies of Butea Frondosa Roxb. Leaves Growing in Egypt

This study aimed to the discovery of new biologically active natural products with hormonelike activity from Butea frondosa Roxb., Family Leguminosae growing in Egypt. The investigation of estrogenlike activity showed that both the successive non-polar and methanolic extracts showed a significant estrogen-like activity in immature female rats. GLC analysis the non-polar bioactive revealed the presence of eicosane (22.5%) and -amyrin (20.5%) as the major components in the unsaponifiable matter, while palmitic (24.9%) and linoleic (36.8%) acids were the main saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The successive bioactive methanolic extract was subjected to chromatographic separation to yield five flavonoids identified as vicenin II, vitexin, chrysoeriol 7-o--D-glucuronic acid, 6,8-di-C-rhamnosyl apigenin and luteolin.