Metabolomic Profile of Ethanol Extract from Qust Al Hindi (Saussurea lappa) Roots Through GC-MS Analysis

Abstract

Saussurea lappa, a member of the Compositae family, is a medicinal plant that has been widely used in traditional medicine systems across various regions, particularly Persia and India. Traditionally, the plant has been used to treat various conditions, including asthma, cough, bloating, rhinitis, urticaria, epilepsy, headaches, leukoderma, allergies, and chronic skin diseases. This study aimed to identify and characterize the secondary metabolites present in the ethanol extract of S. lappa roots (Qust al-Hindi) using a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomic approach. The roots were extracted using the Soxhlet method with 96% ethanol as the extraction solvent, and the resulting extract was subsequently analyzed by GC-MS. A total of 57 compounds were detected, of which eight exhibited the highest relative peak-area percentages: Aromadendrene oxide-(2); 2-(4a,8-dimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,7-octahydronaphthalen-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-ol; 2(3H)-benzofuranone, 6-ethenylhexahydro-3,6-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethenyl)-[3S-(3α,3aα,6α,7β,7aβ)]; 5,8-dihydroxy-4a-methyl-4,4a,4b,5,6,7,8,8a,9,10-decahydrophenanthren-2(3H)-one; azuleno[4,5-b]furan-2(3H)-one, 3a,4,6a,7,8,9a,9b-octahydro-6-methyl-3,9-bis(methylene)-[3aS-(3aα,6aα,9aα,9bβ)]; acetic acid, 2-(2-acetoxy-2,5,5,8a-tetramethyldecalin-1-yl); propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, (dodecahydro-6a- hydroxy-9a-methyl-3-methylene-2,9-dioxoazuleno[4,5-b]furan-6-yl)methyl ester; and cyclopentanolcarboxylic acid, 2-(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxol-4-yl)-4-methylene-5,5-dimethyl-methyl ester, (S,R,R or S,S,S). The identified compounds were predominantly classified as terpenoids, a group of natural products associated with diverse pharmacological activities, including anticancer, antimicrobial, antibiotic, antifeedant, hormonal, immunostimulant, anti-inflammatory, antihepatotoxic, anticonvulsant, analgesic, muscle-relaxant, sedative, hepatoprotective, antidepressant, antioxidant, and antidiabetic effects.

KEYWORDS: GC-MS; metabolomics; Saussurea lappa; soxhlet extraction.