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Alchornea Cordifolia
''Alchornea cordifolia'' is a shrub or small tree distributed throughout tropical Africa, it can grow up to 8 metres tall. The plant is used in traditional African medicine. Common name is the Christmas bush. Chemical constituents The leaves, roots and stem bark contain terpenoids, steroid glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, carbohydrates and the imidazopyrimidine alkaloids alchorneine, alchornidine, and several guanidine alkaloids. The leaves also contain a range of hydroxybenzoic acids: gallic acid and its ethyl ester, gentisic acid, anthranilic acid, protocatechuic acid, and ellagic acid (alizarine yellow). A C20 Homologous series, homolog of vernolic acid named alchornoic acid can be found in the seed oil. Uses of Alchornea cordifolia The plant is cultivated for its medicinal purposes in the country Democratic Republic of Congo. It supplies dye and wood and in other occasions it is widely used for food. Its dried leaves are substituted for tea. The roots of the pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johannes Müller Argoviensis
Johann Müller (9 May 1828 – 28 January 1896) was a Swiss botanist who was a specialist in lichens. He published under the name Johannes Müller Argoviensis to distinguish himself from other naturalists with similar names. Biography Müller was born into a farming family on 9 May 1828 in Teufenthal, Switzerland. He received his education at the Reinach, Aargau, Reinach gymnasium and then entered the Aargau industrial school, where he was passionate about botany and mathematics. Encouraged by Hans Schinz he built a herbarium of the flora of Aargau. In 1850 and 1851 he studied in Geneva and came into contact with prominent botanists Edmond Boissier and Alphonse Pyrame de Candolle (who offered him the vacant post of curator at his herbarium). In the spring of 1851 he collected in southern France with Jean Étienne Duby. The herbarium specimens from this trip were later sent to several herbaria in Europe. The following year, Müller travelled with Boissier to collect plants in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydroxybenzoic Acid
Hydroxybenzoic acid may refer to several related chemical compounds: * 2-Hydroxybenzoic acid (salicylic acid, ''o''-hydroxybenzoic acid) * 3-Hydroxybenzoic acid (''m''-hydroxybenzoic acid) * 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid (''p''-hydroxybenzoic acid) See also * Dihydroxybenzoic acids * Trihydroxybenzoic acids * Phenolic acid {{Chemistry index ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alchorneae
Alchorneae is a tribe of plants in the subfamily Acalyphoideae, under the family Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae (), the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of Euphorbia, the type genus of the family. Most spurges, such as ''Euphorbia paralias'', ar .... It comprises 2 subtribes and 7 genera. See also * Taxonomy of the Euphorbiaceae References Euphorbiaceae tribes {{Euphorb-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vernolic Acid
Vernolic acid (leukotoxin B or isoleukotoxin) is a long chain fatty acid that is monounsaturated and contains an epoxide. It is a ''cis'' epoxide derived from the C12–C13 alkene of linoleic acid. Vernolic acid was first definitively characterized in 1954 and its absolute configuration determined in 1966. It is a major component in vernonia oil, which is produced in abundance by the genera '' Vernonia'' and ''Euphorbia'' and is a potentially useful biofeedstock. Occurrence Vernonia oil is extracted from the seeds of the '' Vernonia galamensis'' (ironweed), a plant native to eastern Africa. The seeds contain about 40 to 42% oil of which 73 to 80% is vernolic acid. The best varieties of ''V. anthelmintica'' contain about 30% less vernolic acid. Vernolic acid is not commonly found in plants in significant quantities, but some plants which do contain it are '' Vernonia'', '' Stokesia'', '' Crepis'' (from the daisy family), and '' Euphorbia lagascae'' and '' Bernardia pulchella ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Homologous Series
In organic chemistry, a homologous series is a sequence of compounds with the same functional group and similar chemical properties in which the members of the series differ by the number of repeating units they contain. This can be the length of a carbon chain, for example in the straight-chained alkanes (paraffins), or it could be the number of monomers in a homopolymer such as amylose. A homologue (also spelled as homolog) is a chemical compound, compound belonging to a homologous series. Compounds within a homologous series typically have a fixed set of functional groups that gives them similar chemical and physical properties. (For example, the series of primary straight-chained alcohols has a hydroxyl at the end of the carbon chain.) These properties typically change gradually along the series, and the changes can often be explained by mere differences in molecular size and mass. The name "homologous series" is also often used for any collection of compounds that have similar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ellagic Acid
Ellagic acid is a polyphenol found in numerous fruits and vegetables. It is the dilactone of hexahydroxydiphenic acid. Name The name comes from the French term ''acide ellagique'', from the word ''galle'' spelled backward because it can be obtained from ''noix de galle'' (galls), and to distinguish it from ''acide gallique'' ( gallic acid). The molecular structure resembles to that of two gallic acid molecules being assembled "head to tail" and bound together by a C–C bond (as in biphenyl, or in diphenic acid) and two lactone links (cyclic carboxylic esters). Metabolism Biosynthesis Plants produce ellagic acid from hydrolysis of tannins such as ellagitannin and geraniin. Biodegradation Urolithins are gut flora human metabolites of dietary ellagic acid derivatives. Ellagic acid has low bioavailability, with 90% remaining unabsorbed from the intestines until metabolized by microflora to the more bioavailable urolithins. History Ellagic acid was first discove ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protocatechuic Acid
Protocatechuic acid (PCA) is a dihydroxybenzoic acid, a type of phenolic acid. It is a major metabolite of antioxidant polyphenols found in green tea. It has mixed effects on normal and cancer cells in ''in vitro'' and ''in vivo'' studies. It is produced commercially from vanillin. Biological effects Protocatechuic acid (PCA) is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. PCA extracted from ''Hibiscus sabdariffa'' protected against chemically induced liver toxicity ''in vivo''. ''In vitro'' testing documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of PCA, while liver protection ''in vivo'' was measured by chemical markers and histological assessment. PCA has been reported to induce apoptosis of human leukemia cells, as well as malignant HSG1 cells taken from human oral cavities, but PCA was found to have mixed effects on TPA-induced mouse skin tumours. Depending on the amount of PCA and the time before application, PCA could reduce or enhance tumour growth. Similarly, PCA was repo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthranilic Acid
Anthranilic acid is an aromatic acid with the formula C6H4(NH2)(CO2H) and has a sweetish taste. The molecule consists of a benzene ring, ''ortho''-substituted with a carboxylic acid and an amine. As a result of containing both acidic and basic functional groups, the compound is amphoteric. Anthranilic acid is a white solid when pure, although commercial samples may appear yellow. The anion 6H4(NH2)(CO2)sup>−, obtained by the deprotonation of anthranilic acid, is called anthranilate. Anthranilic acid was once thought to be a vitamin and was referred to as vitamin L1 in that context, but it is now known to be non-essential in human nutrition. Structure Although not usually referred to as such, it is an amino acid. Solid anthranilic acid typically consists of both the amino-carboxylic acid and the zwitterionic ammonium carboxylate forms, and has a monoclinic crystal structure with space group P21. It is triboluminescent. Above , it converts to an orthorhombic form with spa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gentisic Acid
Gentisic acid is a dihydroxybenzoic acid. It is a derivative of benzoic acid and a minor (1%) product of the metabolic break down of aspirin, excreted by the kidneys. It is also found in the African tree ''Alchornea cordifolia'' and in wine. Production Gentisic acid is produced by carboxylation of hydroquinone.Hudnall, Phillip M. (2005) "Hydroquinone" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2002, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. . :C6H4(OH)2 + CO2 → C6H3(CO2H)(OH)2 This conversion is an example of a Kolbe–Schmitt reaction. Alternatively the compound can be synthesized from salicylic acid via Elbs persulfate oxidation. Reactions In the presence of the enzyme gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, gentisic acid reacts with oxygen to give maleylpyruvate: :2,5-dihydroxybenzoate + O2 \rightleftharpoons maleylpyruvate Applications As a hydroquinone, gentisic acid is readily oxidised and is used as an antioxidant excipient in some pharmaceutical preparations. In t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallic Acid
Gallic acid (also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) is a trihydroxybenzoic acid with the formula C6 H2( OH)3CO2H. It is classified as a phenolic acid. It is found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants. It is a white solid, although samples are typically brown owing to partial oxidation. Salts and esters of gallic acid are termed "gallates". Its name is derived from oak galls, which were historically used to prepare tannic acid. Despite the name, gallic acid does not contain gallium. Isolation and derivatives Gallic acid is easily freed from gallotannins by acidic or alkaline hydrolysis. When heated with concentrated sulfuric acid, gallic acid converts to rufigallol. Hydrolyzable tannins break down on hydrolysis to give gallic acid and glucose or ellagic acid and glucose, known as gallotannins and ellagitannins, respectively. Biosynthesis Gallic acid is formed from 3-dehydroshikimate by the action of the enzyme shikimat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guanidine
Guanidine is the compound with the formula HNC(NH2)2. It is a colourless solid that dissolves in polar solvents. It is a strong base that is used in the production of plastics and explosives. It is found in urine predominantly in patients experiencing renal failure. A guanidine moiety also appears in larger organic molecules, including on the side chain of arginine. Structure Guanidine can be thought of as a nitrogenous analogue of carbonic acid. That is, the C=O group in carbonic acid is replaced by a C=NH group, and each OH is replaced by a group. A detailed crystallographic analysis of guanidine was elucidated 148 years after its first synthesis, despite the simplicity of the molecule. In 2013, the positions of the hydrogen atoms and their displacement parameters were accurately determined using single-crystal neutron diffraction. Production Guanidine can be obtained from natural sources, being first isolated in 1861 by Adolph Strecker via the oxidative degradation of an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
