Isolation of a Toxic Substance from CENTAUREA REPENS

<p>A poisonous steroid-type compound was isolated from Centaurea repens. After extraction with absolute ethanol, removal of the solvent, addition of 2% HCl to precipitate the pigments, and filtering, the pH was adjusted to 9 with aqueous anunonia. This solution was exhaustively extracted with chloroform, evaporated to dryness, and extracted with ethyl ether.</p> <p>This fraction was chromatographed on silica-gel plates, using 10:1 1,2-dichloroethane-methanol as the developer. The band at Rf 4.2 was removed and found toxic to mice. Labored, slow, gasping respiration and frequent involuntary muscular contractions became apparent within a few minutes following the intraperitoneal injection into each animal. Death resulted after sufficient dosages.</p> <p>Further separation was achieved by subjecting the Rf 0.42 toxic band to a second development in 55:6 1,2-dichloroethane-methanol. A compound appeared at Rf 0.54 which gave positive color tests for steroid structure with o-phosphoric acid, and 1:50:50 (w/v/v) vanillin-phosphoric acid-water reagents.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemistry

Year

1966

Author dc:creator

• Sprengel, Merton E.

Contributors dc:contributor

• William D. Leech
• Maurice E. Mathisen
• George J. Nelson

• Botany
• Chemistry
• Poisonous plants; Thistle

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/933

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1893