Ageing diterpenoid

Although the mass spectra of aged diterpenoid resins are generally not characteristic enough for a clear identification, some natural products show characteristic peaks above m/z 325. These signals can be explained by particular constituents of the respective resins, so-called biomarkers. For example, copaiba balsam shows an intense peak at m/z 385, which can be attributed to 3-acetoxy-copaiferic acid [51] (see Figure 5.11). Another... 

Mono- and sesquiterpenoids are of limited use for the identification and classification of aged resins. Due to their volatility, they are rarely found in ancient samples except when they have been conserved in very particular conditions [88,98], On the other hand, the di-and triterpenoids enable us to identify resins thereby identifying their botanical origin [2,99]. Figures 1.1 and 1.2 show the main diterpenoid and triterpenoid structures. 

However, in many archaeological samples pimarane diterpenoids are often absent, and of the abietane compounds only dehydroabietic acid remains. In fact, dehydroabietic acid is present as a minor component in the fresh resins, but its abundance increases on ageing at the expense of the abietadienic acids since the latter undergo oxidative dehydrogenation to the more stable aromatic triene, dehydroabietic acid [2,18]. If oxygen is available, dehydroabietic acid can be oxidized to 7-oxodehydroabietic acid and 15-hydroxy-7-oxodehydroabietic acid. Since these diterpenoid compounds are often the dominant components in archaeological samples [95,97], they are considered characteristic for the presence of Pinaceae resins. 

Pyrolysis in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (THM)-GC/MS allowed the identification of high- and low-molecular weight components in manila Copal and sandarac fresh and artificially aged samples. The pyrograms showed signals due to the polymer fraction and to free diterpenoids [43]. THM-GC/MS has also been used to determine the molecular composition of Pinaceae resins, allowing the study of fresh, naturally and artificially aged samples [16, 44 46]. 

Terpenoids are susceptible to a number of alterations mediated by oxidation and reduction reactions. For example, the most abundant molecule in aged Pinus samples is dehydroabietic acid [Structure 7.10], a monoaromatic diterpenoid based on the abietane skeleton which occurs in fresh (bleed) resins only as a minor component. This molecule forms during the oxidative dehydrogenation of abietic acid, which predominates in rosins. Further atmospheric oxidation (autoxidation) leads to 7-oxodehydroabietic acid [Structure 7.11]. This molecule has been identified in many aged coniferous resins such as those used to line transport vessels in the Roman period (Heron and Pollard, 1988 Beck et al., 1989), in thinly spread resins used in paint media (Mills and White, 1994 172-174) and as a component of resin recovered from Egyptian mummy wrappings (Proefke and Rinehart, 1992). 

Forskolin, a labdane diterpenoid, was isolated from the tuberous roots of Coleus forskohlii Briq. (Lami-aceae) [1], C. forskohlii has been used as an important folk medicine in India. Forskolin was found to be an activator of adenylate cyclase [2], leading to an increase of c-AMP, and now a medicine in India, Germany, and Japan. The production of forskolin is completely dependent on the commercial collection of wild and cultivated plants in India. We have already set up the production of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against forskolin [3]. The practical application of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the distribution of forskolin contained in clonally propagated plant organs and the quantitative fluctuation of forsko-lin depend on the age of C. forskohlii [4,5]. As an extension of this approach, we present the production of the immunoaffinity column using anti-forskolin MAb and its application [6]. 

Triptolide can be found in all parts of the plant roots, stems and leaves. The content of 1, 2 and 4 depends upon the growth area, age and size of the plant. The yield of 1 from the roots or from the leaves is usually around 10 ppm [21, 27]. One isolation method begins with alcohol extraction, followed by a chloroform extraction and finally use of repeated silica gel column separation to obtain compound 1 and other diterpenoids [26],... 

The first online TLC-MS attempt in the field of triterpenoids was done only in 2005 in the study of the photo-oxidation of natural di- and triterpenoid resins used as paint varnishes [10], The resinous samples were applied onto a cellulose-coated TLC plate, which afterward was subjected to direct MALDI-TOF-MS analysis without any development. The plates were only sprayed with a saturated ethanol solution of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid as matrix to assist the ionization of compounds. Triterpenoids were observed as protonated molecules or as sodium clusters. Dammaradienone, dammaradienol, nor-a-amyrone, and dammarenolic, oleanonic, and ursonic acid were detected in dammar resin moronic acid, masticadienonic acid, and 3-0-acetyl-3-epi(iso)masticadienonic acid were found in mastic resin and diterpenoid abietane and pimarane acids were present in colophony. The induced aging process produced oxidized triterpenoids, which were observed in the MS spectra... 

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