Surface lipids of Trifolium species

Fatty acids comprised 27.7 and 30.3% of the surface lipids of Trifolium pratense and T. resupinatum, respectively. The hydrocarbons contained 1     

Lignin of ‘giant’ mosses and some related species

A number of mosses exhibiting gigantism, mainly belonging to the genus Dawsonia, have been investigated for the presence of lignin by oxidative degradation. They were found to be devoid of lignin but contain another type of phenolic cell wall material.     

Nitropropanylglucopyranoses in Coronilla varia

The isolation and characterization of 6-(3-nitropropanyl)-d-glucopyranose from Coronilla varia is described and the concentration of the compound is determined by quantitative microisolation. Di- and tri-nitropropanylgluco-pyranoses are detected in C. varia and three Astragalus spp.     

3-Nitropropanoyl-d-glucopyranoses of Corynocarpus laevigatus

A new nitropropanoyl glucopyranose, 1,4,6-tri-(3-nitropropanoyl)-β-d-glucopyranose (corynocarpin), and three known compounds, 1,6-di-(3-nitropropanoyl)-β-d-glucopyranose (cibarian), 2,6-di-(3-nitropropanoyl)-α-d-glucopyranose (coronarian) and 2,3,6-tri-(3-nitropropanoyl)-α-d-glucopyranose (corollin), were isolated from seeds and plants of Corynocarpus laevigatus. Structural assignments were made on the basis of 220 MHz PMR spectra.     

Epicuticular wax of Pinus radiata needles

Epicuticular wax isolated from the cotyledons and primary needles of 10-week-old Pinus radiata seedlings is similar in composition and contains 86% neutral compounds, viz. alkyl esters (25%, C₂₄–C₆₄), nonacosan-10-ol (52%), heptacosane-5,10-diol (2%), nonacosane-4,10-diol, nonacosane-5,10-diol, and nonacosane-10,13-diol (total 12%) and estolides, MW ca 800 (2%), MW ca 1100 (6%), and MW ca 1500 (1%). The acidic fraction (14%) contains n-acids (78%, C₁₂–C₃₂) and diterpene acids (22%, mainly abieta-8,11,13-trien-18-oic, with lesser amounts of pimara-8(14),15-dien-18-oic, isopimara-7,15-dien-18-oic and hydroxylated aromatic, diene and mono-ene acids). Wax isolated from primary needles of 1-yr-old seedlings had a similar neutral fraction composition, but the acidic fraction contained predominantly the diterpene acid mixture, with only trace amounts of n-acids. The wax from 1-yr-old secondary, needles from P. radiata forest trees aged 5 yr and 40 yr contained an acid fraction (12% 5 yr, 17% 40 yr trees) comprising the diterpene acid mixture, with trace amounts of n-acids together with ω-hydroxy acids (C₁₂, C₁₄ and C₁₆). The neutral fraction from both young and old trees had a similar composition containing alkyl esters (7%, C₂₄–C₆₆), estolides (90%, MW 566-ca 1500), nonacosan-10-ol (2%) and the heptacosane and nonacosane diols (1%). During growth and maturation of P. radiata, the nonacosan-10-ol content of the needle wax decreases while the proportion of estolides and diterpene acids increases, the latter probably being located around the stomatal pore.     

The determination of n-alkanes in the cuticular wax of leaves of Ludwigia adscendens L

An n-hexane extract of fresh, mature leaves of Ludwigia adscendens, containing a thin layer of epicuticular waxes, has been analysed for the first time by TLC, IR and GC using standard hydrocarbons. The leaves contained 22 identified long chain (C15-C36) n-alkanes, accounting for 74.27% of the hydrocarbons present, and an unknown number of unidentified branched chain alkanes. The predominant n-alkane was C25 (11.02%), whilst C18 (7.62%), C20 (6.14%), C29 (5.36%) and C27 (5.29%) n-alkanes were moderately abundant: the C35 homologue was present only in minor amounts (0.22%).     

On the occurrence of lignin or polyphenols in some mosses and liverworts

Six species of mosses (Musci) and two species of liverworts (Hepaticae) have been investigated for the presence of lignin by oxidative degradation. The results clearly demonstrate that these species are devoid of ligrin, but contain other types of phenolic cell wall material.     

Corollin,coronillin and coronarian: Three new 3-nitropropanoyl-d-glucopyranoses from Coronilla varia

Three new 3-nitropropanoyl-d-glucopyranoses, 2,3,6-tri(3-nitropropanoyl)-α-d-glucopyranose (corollin), 1,2,6-tri(3-nitropropanoyl)-α-d-glucopyranose (coronillin) and 2,6-di(3-nitropropanoyl)-α-d-glucopyranose (coronarian) were isolated from the aerial parts of Coronilla varia. Structural assignments were made on the basis of 220 MHz NMR spectra.     

Composition of epicuticular wax layer of two species of Mandevilla (Apocynoideae,Apocynaceae) from Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

The chemical composition of epicuticular waxes of Mandevilla guanabarica and Mandevilla moricandiana was comparatively analyzed by extraction in n-hexane and chloroform. The mean wax content per unit of leaf area in the n-hexane extract was about 13–30 μg cm⁻² for M. guanabarica, containing 20–28% n-alkanes and 55–63% triterpenes; for M. mori-candiana, the mean content was 19 μg cm⁻², containing 73% n-alkanes and 14% triterpenes. In the chloroform extract, the wax yield was 40–80 μg cm⁻² for M. guanabarica, with about 9–11% n-alkanes and 75–82% triterpenes; while for M. moricandiana, the wax yield was 110 μg cm⁻², with 52% n-alkanes and 14% triterpenes. The major compounds identified were lupeol, pentacyclic triterpenes of the α- and β-amyrin class, and n-alkanes such as nonacosane, hentriacontane and tritriacontane. These results indicate that the quantitative chemical profiles of epicuticular waxes of M. guanabarica and M. moricandiana are distinct and could be used as an additional feature in taxonomic identification.     

Development of the cuticular wax during growth of Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Hamet et Perr. de la Bathie) leaves

The goal of the present study was to monitor cuticular wax accumulation during leaf development of Kalanchoe daigremontiana . Leaves expanded linearly until they were 40–60 d old. Wax coverages of leaves on the third node increased steadily during initial leaf development, from 6.5  µ g·cm⁻² on day 22 to 15.3  µ g·cm⁻² on day 53, and then levelled off. Triterpenoids dominated the wax mixture throughout leaf development, but decreased from 74 to 40–45% in mature leaves, while very long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) derivatives increased from 19 to 39–44%. The major VLCFA derivatives were alkanes, accompanied by fatty acids, primary alcohols, aldehydes and alkyl esters. In all compound classes, either C₃₄ or C₃₃ homologs predominated during leaf development. Eight different triterpenoids were identified, with glutinol constituting 70% of the fraction, and friedelin (20%) and germanicol (10%) as further major components of the young leaf wax. The glutinol percentage decreased, while the relative amounts of epifriedelanol and glutanol increased during development. Various leaf pairs upwards from the third node showed similar growth patterns and developmental time courses of cuticular wax amounts and composition. Based on these surface chemical analyses, the relative activities of biosynthetic pathways leading to various wax components can be assessed.     

Glucosides of ionone-related compounds in several nicotiana species

The β-glucosides of 3-oxo-α-ionol and 5,6-epoxy-5,6-dihydro-3-hydroxy-β-ionol were isolated from fresh leaves of Nicotiana rustica. Two or more of the glucosides of 3-oxo-α-ionol, 5,6-epoxy-5,6-dihydro-3-hydroxy-β-ionol, 3-hydroxy-β-damascone, blumenol A, 4-(3-hydroxybutylidene)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexenl-one and blumenol C were shown to be present and the amounts measured in N. alata, N. repanda, N. rustica, N. undulata, N. accuminata, N. sylvestris and N. tabacum. No glucosides were detected in N. paniculata.     

Composition of the epicuticular and intracuticular wax layers on Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Hamet et Perr. de la Bathie) leaves

Epicuticular and intracuticular waxes from both adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaves of Kalanchoe daigremontiana were analyzed. All wax mixtures were found to contain approximately equal amounts of triterpenoids and very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) derivatives. The triterpenoid fraction consisted of glutinol (8-19% of the total wax) and friedelin (4-9%), together with smaller amounts of glutanol, glutinol acetate, epifriedelanol, germanicol and β-amyrin. The VLCFA derivatives comprised C₂₇-C₃₅ alkanes (19-37% of the total wax), C₃₂-C₃₄ aldehydes (3-7%), C₃₂ and C₃₄ fatty acids (0.2-3%), C₂₆-C₃₆ primary alcohols (4-8%), and C₄₂-C₅₂ alkyl esters (2-9%). The wax layers were found to differ in triterpenoid amounts, with the intracuticular wax containing higher percentages of most triterpenoids than the epicuticular wax. Friedelin, the only triterpenoid ketone present, showed the opposite distribution with higher proportions in the epicuticular wax. VLCFA derivatives also accumulated to higher percentages in the epicuticular than in the intracuticular wax layer. Epicuticular wax crystals were observed on both the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces.     

Structural elucidation of 13-acetoxylichesterinic and 13-acetoxyprotolichesterinic acids,two aliphatic lichen metabolites from Neuropogon trachycarpus

From the lichen Neuropogon trachycarpus, six aliphatic acids related to lichesterinic acid have been isolated: neuropogolic, murolic, isomuronic an     

Pachyovatamine,a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid,and other alkaloids from Pachygone ovata

A new dibenzo-p-dioxin biphenyl bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, pachyovatamine, has been isolated from an extract of the leaves and stems of Pachygone ovata from Sri Lanka. The alkaloid was characterized by a consideration of its physicochemical data and conversion to O-acetyltiliacorinine. Pachygonamine, N-methylpachygonamine and tiliamosine were also isolated from the same extract.     

Systematic implications of the exocrine chemistry of some Hypoclinea species

The exocrine compounds produced by several species of Hypoclinea were analysed and compared to those identified in species in other genera of the ant subfamily Dolichoderinae. Two new natural products, 2-hydroxy-6-methylaceto-phenone and 2-acetoxy-6-methylacetophenone, were identified as anal gland products of three Hypoclinea species. The significance of two “forms” of H. bidens possessing completely different glandular secretions is discussed, and the relationship of the genera Hypoclinea and Dolichoderus is explored in terms of the exocrine chemistry of species in these two dolichoderine taxa.     

Seed epicuticular wax of avena sativa

The main fractions in oat seed wax are β-diketones (15.5%), alkanols (14.4%), hydroxy-β-diketones (12.2%), esters (11.1%) and fatty esters (7.2%).     

Quinolizidine alkaloids in petteria ramentacea and the infesting aphids, Aphis cytisorum

Alkaloid extracts of Petteria ramentacea (leaves, fruits, stem) contained cytisine, N-methylcytisine, anagyrine as major alkaloids, and lupanine, 5,6-dehydrolupanine and rhombifoline as minor constituents. Aphids (Aphis cytisorum) feeding on this plant accumulated cytisine in a concentration of 21 mmol/kg fresh weight (0.4 %).     

Sesquiterpenoids of Riccardia and Pallavicinia species

Riccardia species (Metzgeriales) contain various types of sesquiterpenes. R. jackii produces ent-selinane-, ent-aromadendrane-and ent-bicyclogermacrane-type sesquiterpenes together with (R)-cuparene and α-barbatene. Aneura pinguis (= Riccardia pinguis) is chemically quite different from R. multifida and R. jackii. The former produces a large amount of pinguisone. R. multifida contains 6-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-indole and (+)-β-elemene as the major components. Pallavicinia longispina (Dilaenaceae; Metzgeriales) produces mainly spathulenol. The chiral properties of the sesquiterpenes isolated from R. jackii are quite similar to those of red algae, Laurencia species.     

Quinones of the lichen Cetraria cucullata

Two new quinones, 7,7′-bis (1,4,5,8-tetrahydroxy-3-ethylnaphthalene-2,6-dione) and its monomeric analogue, five anthraquinones, parietin, fallacinal,     

Aliphatic and aromatic amines during development of Nicotiana tabacum

Putrescine, spermidine, spermine, tyramine and phenethylamine have been analysed in the apical parts, leaves, stems, flowers and roots of the tobacco p