Malkanguniol, one of the polyalcohols from celastrus paniculatus willd.

✍ Scribed by H.J. den Hertog Jr.; J.Th. Hackmann; D.D. Nanavati; Sukh Dev

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 246 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0040-4039
• DOI: 10.1016/s0040-4039(01)95732-6

✦ Synopsis

In connection with pharmacological properties ascribed to the seeds of Celastrus paniculatus Willd. (Hindi: Malkanguni), a plant mentioned in old Indian medical literature, the composition of the components of these seeds has been studied.

In 1938, Gunde and Hilditch 1) investigated the fat of the aril-free seeds of Celastrus paniculatus and, by extraction with 80% MeOH aq., segregated it into glYceride and non glyceride fractions. From the latter fraction, these authors isolated, after saponification and acetylation of the neutral part, a resinous product which on the basis of element analysis , was considered to be the tetra-acetate of a tetrahydroxylic alcohol with an approximate composition ClSH2SOS. The nature of this compound(s), however, could not be defined. Some years ago, a more detailed investigation of this polyalcohol mixture was undertaken, independently, by two different groups, in Indiaa) and in the Nether-lands3). We find that several polyhydric alcohols are present and now report on the structure of one of the major constituents.