Isolation of secondary metabolites from ferulago blancheana with antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities

The Ferulago is an aromatic (fragrant) plant, which is a member of one of the flowering plant families, the Apiaceae (=Umbelliferae). The Ferulago and its similar species are known as the "giant fennel" (Çakşır, Çağşır); it is used by people traditionally to soothe the nervous system, relieve gas, get rid of worms, and its roots are separately used as an aphrodisiac. The Ferulago blancheana Post which is currently being worked on, is an endemic species that grows in Kahramanmaraş Başkonuş (Square C6). The Ferulago blancheana was first introduced to the scientific world in Boisser's work "Flora Orientalis Supplementum" which was published in 1888. Until today, in Turkey and the world, the Ferulago species have mostly been worked for their volatile oils and some activities, in general. The Ferulago species, as well as having very little work done in terms of its isolation and other metabolites, the Ferulago blancheana is being worked on for the first time in terms of its volatile oil, isolation, and the use of secondary metabolites. In this thesis study, eight compounds have been isolated from Ferulago blancheana plant. In the first stage, the Ferulago blancheana plant's dichloromethane and ethyl acetate /methanol extracts were prepared. After the total phenolics amount and the total flavanoids amount were accounted to as equal to quercetin, and antioxidant activities were detected by inhibition of lipid peroxidation and DPPH free radical scavenging methods. Dichloromethane and ethyl acetate/methanol extracts of Ferulago blancheana and the anticholinesterase activities of the pure compounds isolated were identified using the Ellman method against the AChE and BChE enzymes. As the main secondary metabolites of the exracts coumarins, and five furanocoumarin, and two steroids structure isolated and purified; their structures were identified using spectroscopic (NMR, UV) methods. Keywords: Ferulago blancheana; furanocoumarin; antioxidant activity; anticholinesterase activity; heraclenol; imperatorin This research was supported by the Scientific Research Unit of Bezmialem Vakıf University. Project No: 9.2014/17