Investigations on the Himalayan Bryophytes : Pinguisane sesquiterpenoids from Porella densifolia (Steph.) Hatt.

Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, Nainital-263 002, India

Manuscript received 17 April 1998, accepted 11 February 1999

The terpenoid composition of Porella densifolia (Steph.) Hatt., a liverwort, has been determined. Of more than 60 components in the steam volatile oil, 35 components constituting 95.4% of the extract have been identified. It is characterized by the dominant presence of pinguisane type sesquiterpenoids such as norpinguisone methyl ester (46.6%) and norpinguisonc (4.6%) besides striatene (11.8%) and bicyclogerrnacrene (11.6% ). In addition, twentytwo compounds are being reported for the first time in P. densifolia. This is the first screening report of the terpenoid composition of P. densifolia (Steph.) Halt. from Kumaun (North Western Himalaya) which differs from the previous two reports on the materials from Japan and Punjab with respect to major as well as minor chemical con