Isolation and characterization of 3-carbomethoxypyridine from the leaves of Pyrenacantha staudtii Hutch and Dalz (Icacinaceae).

Pyrenacantha staudtii is a medicinal plant used widely in the West African sub-region particularly in Nigeria for the treatment of threatened abortion and dysmenorrhea. This study reports for the first time the chemical isolation and characterization of 3-carbomethoxypyridine from one of the active fractions of the methanolic extract of Pyrenacantha staudtii leaves. The crude methanolic extract was subjected to accelerated gradient chromatography (AGC) to give various fractions. One of the active fractions was further subjected to a reversed phase lobar column chromatography to give the alkaloidal compound using methanol : water as solvent system. The structure was unequivocally determined by physical, chemical and spectral techniques.