Polyphenolic compounds from Hypericum punctatum leaves

Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort), the most well-known member of the Hypericum genus, produces a variety of natural products including flavonoids, naphthodianthrones and acylphloroglucinol derivatives. These constituents have medicinal benefits such as antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-HIV activities. There are 19 Hypericum species in Pennsylvania and two occur in the Hypericumtaxonomic section: H. perforatum and H. punctatum. A HPLC analysis of extracts of H. perforatum and H. punctatum revealed similarities in chemical composition. This study is focused on the phytochemical examination of an acetone extract of the flowers of H. punctatum, with the aim of comparing its chemical composition to that of H. perforatum. Purification resulted in the isolation of two acylphloroglucinol derivatives, and several flavonoids. The structures of the flavonoids and acylphloroglucinol derivatives were elucidated using 1H-, 13C-, DEPT- and 2D-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses