Investigation of the alkaloids of Punica Granatum L. by partition chromatography

Abstract
In recent literature doubts are expressed about the accepted structure of the anthelmintic substance pelletierine, one of the four alkaloids said to occur in the bark of the pomegranate tree (Punica granatum L.) It has been suggested that the “pelletierine” of the literature is in reality isopelletierine, which would reduce the number of alkaloidal components to three.The present investigation reports on the analyses by means of partition chromatography on paper of two samples of commercial “pelletierine sulphate” and of an extract made of pomegranate bark. Four (or five) spots were found, three of which had RF‐values identical with those of synthetic pseudopelletierine, d,l‐isopelletierine and d,l‐methylisopelletierine. This is a convenient way of establishing the presence of these three compounds in pharmaceutical “pelletierine” preparations and of establishing the presence of one (or two) more substances not yet identified.

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