Isolation, Purification, and Spectroscopic Characterization of a Bioactive Compound from Kalanchoe pinnata Aerial Parts

Kalanchoe pinnata, a medicinal plant of the family Crassulaceae, is widely recognized for its ethnomedicinal and pharmacological relevance. This study reports the separation, purification, and structural characterization of bioactive constituents from the aerial parts of the plant. The crude extract was first subjected to liquid–liquid partitioning using n-hexane and trichloromethane to obtain fractions enriched with compounds of varying polarity. The selected fraction was further subjected to column chromatography to obtain sub-fractions, which were subsequently monitored and further purified using thin layer chromatography (TLC).A solvent system comprising n-hexane, trichloromethane, ethyl ethanoate, and methanol was employed to achieve effective separation. TLC was used to monitor the fractions and guide selection based on Rf values. Repeated purification of the selected column fractions using TLC afforded a compound designated BA2, eluted with 95% trichloromethane and 5% ethyl ethanoate, with an Rf value of 0.88.Structural elucidation was carried out using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, and 2D COSY NMR). GC–MS showed a molecular ion peak at m/z 527.75, corresponding to C₃₆H₄₇O₃. Spectroscopic data confirmed the structure as Octadecahydro-4, 4-dimethoxy-12b, 14b-dimethyl-10-(naphthalen-2-yl) picen-3-(4H, 6bH, 14bH)-one. The findings contribute to the phytochemical profile of the plant.