Isolation and characterization of scopoletin from Iraqi-cultivated Leonotis leonurus (lion’s ear) using maceration and chromatographic techniques

The perennial herb Leonotis leonurus (L. leonurus), is commonly recognized by the names lion's ear and wild dagga family (Lamiaceae) is indigenous to Southern Africa and is commonly regarded for its ethnobotanical value. The plant is well-known for its medicinal as well as psychotropic properties. The leaves or blossoms are used in poultices or drinks. It’s smoked for its mild euphoric effects, said to mimic those of cannabis, but weaker. The research focuses on the first-time isolation of coumarin (scopoletin) from L. leonurus specifically cultivated in Iraq and its several biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and antidiabetic ones, from the leaf methanolic extract of the spontaneously growing plant species in Iraq Leonutus leonurus. The extraction method employed is the simple maceration extraction technique, where the plant material is soaked in a solvent without applying any heat. The method involves first soaking the plant with the non-polar solvent hexane and then continuing with 85 % methanol. The yield of the maceration method extraction is 15.19 g. By using analytical thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), it was demonstrated that the isolated scopoletin was present and possessed a structure identical to the same respective standard. Isolation of scopoletin alone from the methanolic leaf extract of Leonotis leonurus proved its place in the leaf part, which shows that the leaf is signifying as one of the sources of bioactive compounds This finding is significant as it establishes the presence of scopoletin in Iraqi-grown L. leonurus, which may suggest potential variations in the phytochemical profile of this species based on geographical location and cultivation conditions. Further pharmacological investigations are warranted to explore the specific bioactivity of scopoletin derived from this Iraqi source. This requires further pharmacological investigations for their confirmation of bioactivity.