Methyl ferulate from methanol extract of Indonesian sausage fruit (Kigelia africana)

Sausage tree (Kigelia africana) is a medicinal plant of Bignoniaceae family which can be used as anticancer. Study on K. africana as an anticancer activity is still restricted to its crude extract while the structure of its active compound is still limited. On the other hand, K. africana in Indonesia has not been used as a medicine. It is only used as an ornamental plant because of its unique fruit shape. Therefore, it is interesting to conduct a research on isolation of active compounds from K. africana having anticancer activity. Simplicia of K. africana fruit was macerated in methanol and fractionated using vacuum liquid chromatography obtained 6 fractions (A-F). Fraction C was further fractionated using radial chromatography yielded 5 sub-fractions. Sub-fractions C3 and C4 were purified by preparative thin layer chromatography and obtained cinnamate derivative. Based on NMR and LC-MS spectral data, cinnamate derivative was identified as methyl ferulate. This study reported the isolation of methyl ferulate from K. africana which can be examined to its anticancer activity in further research.