TLC of selected sesquiterpenoids of the Asteraceae family

Abstract

Visual chromatography has been employed for a preliminary identification of natural compound of a group of sesquiterpene lactones – <em>Centaurea bella </em>Trautv., <em>C. crocodylium </em>L., <em>C. lusitanica</em> Boiss. et Reuter, <em>Helenium hoopesii </em>A. Gray = <em>Dugaldia hoopesii</em> (A. Gray) Rydb., <em>Stizolophus balsamita </em>(Lam.) Cass., <em>Zoegea baldschuanica </em>C. Winkl., germacranes – <em>Santolina pinnata </em>Viv. subsp. <em>neapolitana </em>(Jord. et Fourr.) Guinea = <em>S. neapolitana </em>Jord. et Fourr. A dependence of the colour of the spots, induced by anisaldehyde reagent, on the presence of several substituents in the germacranolide ring – derivatives of partnenolide and salonitenolide – has been identified. The structures of the skeleton in the ring of sesquiterpene lactones in <em>Helenium hoopesii </em>can also be established by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The analysis of the chromatograms of extracts from dry and fresh <em>Centaurea crocodylium </em>herb has shown significant differences as for the chemical composition. Two sorts of germacranes of <em>Santolina pinnata </em>subsp. <em>neapolitana </em>display a characteristic colour of the spots.