Isolation of steroids from n-hexane extract of the leaves of Saurauia roxburghii

General phytochemical screening of the leaves of Saurauia roxburghii (Actinidiaceae) revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, O-glycosides, terpenoids, carbohydrates, steroids, reducing sugar, tannins, phlobatannins and saponin are present in this plant whereas cardiac glycosides are absent. Two steroid compounds were isolated from the n-hexane extract of the leaves from S. roxburghii. Based on the spectral evidence IR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR, structures were determined to be stigmasterol (1) and β-sitosterol (2) This is the first report so far of occurrence and details spectroscopic description of these compounds from S. roxburghii.