Abstract

In the context of the past and recent global concern about medicinal plants and nutraceuticals for the prevention of various diseases and treatments, this study was conducted on twenty-four samples of medicinal plants, including Saussurea costus, Tribulus terrestris, Bacopa Monnieri, Peganum harmala, Boswellia Carterii, Illicium verum, Artemisia Judaica, and Scutellaria lateriflora, which are used in traditional medicine in the MENA region and other parts of the world. The plant parts obtained were extracted using an updated, efficacious procedure, acetylated, and screened to quantify naturally occurring sugar alcohols (Cyclitols). The analysis was performed using an updated GC-EI/MS method with pulsed splitless injection and cold trapping in SIM mode, and the results were reported in units of g⁻¹ dw-¹. The procedure provides a simple, inexpensive extraction methodology that combines pre-extraction and ether-based removal of oils and other lyophilic substituents, followed by ethanolic maceration and SPE for sugar alcohols from medicinal plants. The studied sugars were found in the following concentration ranges: MI 3.51–39.15 mg g⁻¹ dw-¹, D-mannitol 0.08–10.51 mg g⁻¹ dw-¹, DCI 0.09–6.023 mg g⁻¹ dw-¹, and DPI (ND–0.39 mg g⁻¹ dw-¹). Tribulus terrestris had the highest MI and DCI content.

Keywords: medicinal plants, myo-inositol, D-chiro-inositol, D-mannitol, D-pinitol, monosaccharides

Article language: En