LAUSR

Smilax kraussiana Meisn. (Synonym Smilax korthalsii A. DC.) is an ornamental plant. It is an evergreen shrub with climbing branches, stapler tendrils, and thorny flowers [1–9]. It is commonly known as West African sarsaparilla. Traditionally it is known as Odufat by the Ibibios, Uruk–ekwong by the Efiks, Jiabanammuo by the Ibos, Kurangawofi by the Hausas, and Ekanamagbo/Egun-igbao by the Yoruba of Nigeria. Preliminary work on the root of the plant revealed that it contained saponins, tannins, simple sugars, cardiac glycosides, and flavonoids [10]. The plant is used in the treatment of tumors, infertility, inflammatory rheumatism, gout, kidney problems, gonorrhea and syphilis, fever, malaria, and skin diseases [1, 4, 5, 11–13]. Some of the therapeutic properties of the plant have been established by various researchers. The acute toxicity potential of the plant and its antiplasmodial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, contraceptive, as well as analgesic activities, have been reported [10, 14–16]. However, only the cytotoxicity and phytochemistry of the ethyl acetate extract of the plant leaves have been reported [17]. In this study, we report five compounds, octadecane (1), dodec-1-ene (2), 3 -acetyl-23,24-dihydroxyolean-5ene (3), ursa-12,20-dien-19 -ol-3-one (4), and oleana-9(11),12-dien-3-ol (5) isolated from chloroform extract, and another five compounds, 1,2,3-propanetriyl (7Z,7 Z,7 Z)tris(-7-tetradecenoate) (6), campesterol (7), cis-hexadec-9-enoic acid (8), Z-7,10,13,16,19-heptaeicosa-pentaenoic acid (9), and (Z)-5,8-eicosadienoic acid (10) isolated from the methanol extract of aerial parts of Smilax kraussiana (S. kraussiana). Furthermore, the antiproliferative activity of the isolates was discussed to support its traditional medicinal applications.