Chemical analysis of Lithospermum canescens (Michx.) Lehm. Hairy roots through TLC, CC, GC-MS, ESI-MS, and NMR methods

Four alkannins, isobutylalkannin (1), β,β-dimethylacrylalkannin (2), acetylalkannin (3) and β-hydroxyisovalerylalkannin (4), two shikonofurans: shikonofuran C (5), shikonofuran D (6), and a number of sterols as well as esterified acids, have been isolated and determined from the n-hexane extract of Lithospermum canescens transgenic roots. Pigments 1 and 4 are reported in the present work as novel metabolites within Lithospermum genus, while it is also the first detailed chemical analysis of transgenic roots from the studied species. All chemical structures were determined by modern chromatographic and spectral means as GC-MS, ESI-MS, and NMR.