Fuel oils from euphorbs and other plants

Fuel oils from Euphorbs and other plants. The increasing energy costs of finding petroleum, together with the sure knowledge that its supply is finite, has prompted us to seek other sources of liquid hydrocarbon for both fuel and material. We have turned to annually renewable plant sources such as seed oils, an obvious source, with palm oil as the most productive. Sugar cane used to produce ethanol is another fuel source already in use.
We have examined non-food plants which can be grown on marginal soil for their productivity, particularly the genus Euphorbia. All species of this genus produce a latex which can be converted into useful fuel and other material, including precursors for what might be a valuable anti-tumor agent. Euphorbias and other similar plants require repeated planting and harvesting of the entire plant, which constitutes a drain on the soil. Trees can be long-term sources for hydrocarbon-like materials with a single planting. Examples are: the genus Copaifera which can be tapped for sesquiterpenes, the genus Pittosporum which bears fruits rich in terpenes and can be harvested annually. Finally, there are algae whose oil productivity is already of interest.
It seems possible to modify genetically the terpene biosynthetic pathways in plants to improve both the quality and quantity of the oils produced from them.     

3α, 11α-Dihydroxy-23-oxo-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid from Acanthopanax trifoliatus

The new triterpene 3α,11α-dihydroxy-23-oxo-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid was isolated from Acanthopanax trifoliatus. Its structure has been determined on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical transformations.     

Triterpenes from Periandra dulcis roots

Three oleanane triterpenes were isolated from the roots of Periandra dulcis,and identified as 3β-hydroxy-25-al-olean-18-en-30-oic acid (periandric acid I), 3β-hydroxy-25-al-olean-12-en-30-oic acid (periandric acid II) and 3-oxo-25-hydroxy-olean-12-en-30-oic acid. The former two compounds (periandric acids I and II) were identical with the aglycones obtained by hydrolysis of periandrin I and II, respectively and the latter one was a new triterpene.     

6-Hydroxytoxol esters and a seco-dammarane derivative from Abrotanella forsterioides

Abrotanella forsterioides afrorded euparin, 6-hydroxytremetone and three 6-hydroxytoxol esters, one of them not being isolated previously. Furthermore a seco-triterpene was isolated. The tribal position of the genus Abrotanella in the Compositae is still an unsolved problem. Morphological investigations suggest that this genus should be transferred from the tribe Anthemideae to the Senecioneae [1,2]. So far two species have been studied chemically; one atforded ent-kaurane derivatives, while both contained euparin and hydroxytremetone [3].     

酿酒酵母合成木栓酮及其衍生物的研究现状及展望

木栓酮及其衍生物在植物中普遍存在且种类繁多,具有丰富的生理药理学活性。木栓酮衍生物是以木栓酮为骨架经细胞色素氧化酶P450(cytochromeP450,CYP450)及UDP葡萄糖醛酸转移酶(UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, UGT)修饰而来。植物中天然木栓酮及其衍生物的含量极低,传统的萃取分离和化学合成效率低、能耗高且污染环境,因此,利用酿酒酵母作为宿主菌生产木栓酮及其衍生物是一种高效且环保的策略。本文从增加前体含量、提高酶活性和产物合成的亚细胞定位等方面介绍并展望了木栓酮在酿酒酵母中高效生产的策略,并介绍了目前几种常见的木栓酮衍生物研究现状,从根据碳骨架相似性挖掘CYP450、蛋白质工程改造CYP450和合成代谢基因簇的挖掘等方面展望了木栓酮衍生物的合成途径解析的新思路。     

Phytochemical Characterization of Cannabis sativa L. Roots from Northeastern Brazil

This article describes the phytochemical study of Cannabis sativa roots from northeastern Brazil. The dried plant material was pulverized and subjected to exhaustive maceration with ethanol at room temperature, obtaining the crude ethanolic extract (Cs-EEBR). The volatile compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which allowed to identify 22 compounds by comparing the linear retention index (LRI), the similarity index (SI) and the fragmentation pattern of the constituents with the literature. By this technique the major compounds identified were: friedelan-3-one and β-sitosterol. In addition, two fractions were obtained from Cs-EEBR by classical column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography. These fractions were analyzed by NMR and IR and together with the mass spectrometry data allowed to identify the compounds: epifriedelanol, friedelan-3-one, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. The study contributed to the phytochemical knowledge of Cannabis sativa, specifically the roots, as there are few reports on the chemical constituents of this part of the plant.     

Plectranthoic acid,acetylplectranthoic acid and plectranthadiol,three triterpenoids from Plectranthus rugosus

Sitosterol and three new pentacyclic triterpenoids, plectranthoic acid, acetylplectranthoic acid and plectranthadiol, have been isolated from leaves of P. rugosus. From spectroscopic evidence and chemical behaviour the structure of plectranthoic acid was established as (19S)-3α-hydroxy-18α-urs-12-en-29β-oic acid and acetylplectranthoic acid is the 3α-acetyl derivative of this compound. Plectranthadiol is (19S)- 3α-hydroxy-18α-urs-12-en-29β-ol.     

The involvement of sucrose,glucose and other metabolites in the synthesis of triterpenes and dopa in the laticifers of Euphorbia lathyris

A quantitative triterpene analysis was made of latex stem tissue of Euphorbia lathyris. Young plants seedlings of E. lathyris were incubated with various labelled precursors. Incorporation into triterpenes was obtained from [2-¹⁴C]mevalonic acid, [1-¹⁴C]acetate, [3-¹⁴C]pyruvate, [U-¹⁴C]sucrose, [U-¹⁴C]glucose, [U-¹⁴C]xylose, [U-¹⁴C]glyoxylate, [2,3-¹⁴C]succinic acid, [1-¹⁴C]glycerol [U-¹⁴C]serine. Both sugars tyrosine appeared to be effective precursors in DOPA synthesis inside the laticifers. Exogenously supplied mevalonic acid was only involved in triterpene synthesis outside the laticifers. GC-RC of triterpenes synthesized from [U-¹⁴C]glucose revealed the origin of these compounds in the latex. The labelled triterpenes obtained after incorporation of the other mentioned labelled precursors were only partly synthesized in the laticifers. For quantitative data on latex triterpene synthesis seedlings were incubated with [U-¹⁴C]sucrose, [U-¹⁴C]glucose, [U-¹⁴C]xylose [1-¹⁴C]acetate in the presence of increasing amounts of unlabelled substrate. From the amount of ¹⁴C incorporated into the triterpenes the amount of substrate directly involved in triterpene synthesis was calculated, as was the absolute triterpene yield. Sucrose showed the highest triterpene yield, equivalent to the daily increase of the triterpene content of growing seedlings. The possible significance of the other precursors in triterpene synthesis in the laticifers is discussed.