Chemical investigation of epicuticular wax obtained from Euphorbia milii leaves

Abstract

AbstractEpicuticular wax analysis was performed on the leaves of chloroform extract obtained from the plant Euphorbia milii (‘Christ’s plant’). Aim of the study is to identify the chemical constituents and to discover how they were distributed within the cuticle. Column chromatographic separations based on polarity and GC–MS analysis led to the identification of the pentacyclic triterpenoids, its acetates and hydrocarbons that are found to be present in the epicuticular wax. The study revealed that the plant wax contains Lupenone, Glutinol, Lupeol acetate, Glutinyl acetate, Friedelan-3-ol,D:A-Friedooleanan-28-acetate 3beta hydroxyl in fraction1. The second fraction was found to contain Friedooleanan-3-ol, Friedooleanan-3-aceteate along with hydrocarbons of carbon chain length from C23–C33. Hydrocarbons in the form of alkanes and alkenes were identified as the major constituents in the third fraction of the leaf extracts and found to vary from carbon chain C18 to C34. Cuticular wax was found to be dominated by triterpenoids in the first two fractions. The last fraction contains hydrocarbons as the major constituent. The functional group analysis through FTIR-HATR study reveals the presence of characteristic peaks of waxes. The finding suggests that the biomass of the plant Euphorbia milii can be an important source for hydrocarbon.