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Guibourtacacidin: a new Leuco-anthocyanidin from Rhodesian copalwood; (Guibourtia coleosperma)

A new leuco-anthocyanidin, (+)-7,4'dihydroxyflavan- 3:4-diol has been isolated from the heartwood of Guibourtia coleosperma. The heartwood extractives were fractionated by enrichment procedures involving fractional precipitation and Craig partitioning, to give a high RF (subscript) low molecular weight fraction containing the above leuco -anthocyanidin. This was further fractionated by "preparative" paper chromatography . The leuco-anthocyanidin was amorphous and present in low proportion (0.004%) in the wood. On boiling with alcoholic hydrochloric acid the compound gave an anthocyanidin which was identified as 3,7,4'-trihydroxyflavylium chloride. The degradation products formed by alkali fusion, on a micro-scale, were resorcinol and ♭-resorcylic acid, and also p (underscore)-hydroxybenzoic acid. This indicated resorcinol and phenol A and B nuclei respectively. The formation of amorphous dimethyl ether and tetra-acetoxy derivatives indicated two phenolic and two alcoholic hydroxyl groups. The above indicates that the compound was 7,4'-dihydroxyflavan- 3:4- diol and a molecular weight estimation showed it to be monomeric. Comparison of the infrared absorption spectra of the natural dimethyl ether with synthetic (±) dimethoxyflavan- 3:4-diol, to which a tentative 2:3- trans- 3:4-cis conformation had been assigned (Phatak and Kulkarni 94), showed close identity. Crystalline (±)-7, 4 '-dihydroxyflavan- 3:4 - diol was synthesised by catalytic hydrogenation over platinum oxide of the corresponoing (±) -7,4'-dihydroxyflavanonol. The flavanonol was synthesised by sodium hyposulphite reduction of the 7,4 ' -dihydroxyflavonol. The infrared absorption spectra of the natural and synthetic diols were similar but not identical. Chromatographic evidence showed the apparent identity of the synthetic and natural flavan- 3:4- diols, and two possible configurations were assigned for the natural flavan-3:4-diol. The new leuco-anthocyanidin was observed to form an O(underscore)-ethyl ether derivative on manipulation in ethanol. A monomeric leuco- fisetinidin from the heartwood was identified, by two dimensional paper chromatography, as (+) - mollisacacidin. The condensed tannins found also in the heartwood of G.(underscore)- coleosperma appear to be polymeric forms of leuco - fisetinidin and leuco - guibourtinidin. These polymeric tannins form a large proportion of the heartwood extractives and furnish high yields of fisetinidin and guibourtinidin chlorides on boiling with alcoholic hydrochloric acid. Examination of some other members of the Guibourtia spp . by paper chromatography showed that only G (underscore). coleosperma contained the new leuco - anthocyanidin as well as a leuco - fisetinidin. G. (underscore) tessmannii and G. (underscore) demeusii heartwoods contained only leuco-fisetinidin and the related polymers and a close chemical relationship to G.(underscore) coleosperma is thus apparent. G.(underscore) arnoldiana on the other hand is not chemically interrelated with the above members since it appeared to contain only leuco - cyanidin. (±) - 7,4 ' -Dihydroxyflavan- 4-ol was synthesised by hydrogenation of the corresponding flavanone over platinum oxide. Observations were made regarding its reddenig and ease of condensation.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:rhodes/vital:4459
Date January 1962
CreatorsDe Bruyn, Guustaaf Cornelis
PublisherRhodes University, Faculty of Science, Chemistry
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis, Masters, MSc
Format94 leaves, pdf
RightsDe Bruyn, Guustaaf Cornelis

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