Isolation of cannabinoids and triterpenoids from Rhododendron anthopogon D.Don (Ericaceae) Leaves

Rhododendron anthopogon D.Don (Ericaceae) is a medicinal plant that occurs in the Swat District, Pakistan. Column chromatography was used to isolate cannabichromeorcinic acid (1), cannabigerorcinic acid (2), ursolic acid (3), friedelin (4) and 2-phenylethyl 4-methoxybenzoate (5) from the methylene chloride extract of R. anthopogon leaves that were collected from the Daral region in the Swat District, Pakistan. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, and by comparison of the experimental data with those reported in the literature. The occurrence of cannabinoids (1) and (2), triterpenoids (3) and (4), and 2-phenylethyl 4-methoxybenzoate (5) in R. anthopogon leaves, as reported in this study, may shed some light on this species’ traditional medicinal uses.