Serum Cholesterol Lowering Effects and Triterpenoids of the Herbs of Lactuca indica

왕고들빼기의 혈청 콜레스테롤 저하효과 및 트리테르페노이드 성분

A methanol extract of the herbs of Lactuca indica L. effectively decreased the serum levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol when orally administered with diet. On fractionation of the extract, a chloroform-soluble fraction showed the similar effects with the methanol extract. Chromatographic separation afforded a mixture of triterpene alcohols and their acyl derivatives. A mixture of triterpene alcohols were identified as ${\beta}-amyrin$, ${\alpha}-amyrin$, lupeol, pseudotaraxasterol, taraxasterol and germanicol on the basis of spectroscopic methods. The acyl moieties in the corresponding acyl mixture were characterized as acetates and palmitates, respectively. And three kinds of sterol such as ${\beta}-sitossterol$, compesterol and stigmasterol were isolated as a mixture state.