Phytochemical Comparison of Stem and Leaves of Cupressus sempervirens L. from Cuba

Abstract

The Cupressus sempervirens Linnaeus (Cypress) species, belonging to the botanical family of the Cupressaceae, is an arboreal species native to the eastern Mediterranean and is of great importance for presenting metabolites with great therapeutic potential. In Cuba, it is uncommon, and this is the reason why this research took place to compare the chemical characterization of the stem and leaves of the ¨Ciprés¨ of Cuban origin. The present research is the first one in Cuba for the species which underwent a pharmacognostic study of the crude drug and the extracts of the plant parts. To be carried out, quality parameters of the leaves and stem were evaluated where the results obtained met with the specifications described in the official monographs. The Maceration Method was applied using 95% ethanol for the extraction of its chemical constituents. These were qualitatively determined by the Phytochemical Screening Techniques; expressing with greater incidence essential oils, fats, alkaloids, triterpenoids and steroids, resins, reducing sugars, saponins, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, mucilages, and bitter principles. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography suggests that the compounds that showed retention time on the stem were 15.2 and 15.9 minutes and the retention times on leaves were 15.2 and 16.0 minutes.