Prunus species

Benzaldehyde Cyanohydrin. This cyanohydrin, also known as mandelonitrile [532-28-5] is a yellow, oily Hquid, insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol and diethyl ether. Mandelonitrile is a component of the glycoside amygdalin [29883-15-6] a precursor of laetdle [1332-94-7] found in the leaves and seeds on most Prunus species (plum, peach, apricot, etc). In 1832, mandelonitrile was the first cyanohydrin to be synthesized. 

Several flavonoids were isolated from either the wood of the Japanese larch Larix leptolepis (Pinaceae) or from the wood of Prunus species.152 In total, 14 flavonoids were tested for antifeedant activity against C. formosanus. Although all flavonoids did exhibit antifeeding behavior, there were large variations. Three compounds,... 

Crafaegus species (hawthorn) Prunus species (plum)... 

Plum Prunus species 7. Eisenberg DM, Kessler RC, Foster C, Norlock FE,... 

The raw pits or kernels of various Prunus species (such as apricot, bitter almond, choke cherry and peach) are promoted as health foods. However, they contain the cyanogenic glycoside, amygdahn, which yields hydrogen cyanide after ingestion. 

Cyanogenic (cyanide producing) plants of the Prunus species are flowering and fruit trees. Seeds and pits are commonly ingested inadvertently along with the edible fruit. 

Chemical Name Prunus species Synonyms Prunus armeniaca (Apricot) P. avium (sweet cherry) P. caroliniana (cherry laurel) P. cerasus (sour cherry) P. domestica (common plum) P. dulcis (almond) P. malus pumila (common apple and crab apple) P. persica (peach) P. serotina (wild cherry) P. virginiana (chokecherry) Chemical/Pharmaceutical/Other Class Cyano-genic glycosides... 

The Prunus species includes a group of more than 400 trees and shrubs. They often find ornamental use because of their flowers, fruit, and nuts. 

Exposure is by ingestion of seeds, leaves, stems, roots, and fruit. Crushed seeds of some of the mentioned varieties are marketed as health foods. They are also marketed and sold surreptitiously as cancer remedies or vitamin supplements. Laetrile and Apri-kern are some health products consisting of crushed seeds from the Prunus species. 

Prunus Species, Pages 555-556, Christopher P. Holstege SummaryPlus Full Text + Links PDF (60 K)... 

Sakuranetin. 2,3-Dihydro-5-hydroxy-2-(4-hydr-oxyphenyl)-7 methoxy-4H-l-benlopyran 4-one 4 ,5-dihy-droxy-7-methoxyflavanone naringen 7-methyl ether. C,4-H Os mol wt 286.27. C 67.12%, H 4,93%, O 27-95%. Isoln by hydrolysis of 5-glucoside obtained from bark of Prunes yedoensis Matsum., Rosaceae Asahina, Arch. Pharm. 246, 259 (1908) from wood of various Prunus species Hase-... 

Within the term plums, several Prunus species may be included Prunus domestica, P. salicina, etc.) with substantial varietal differences existing in their phenolic composition. 

A. M. Stephen and S. C. Churms, Smith degradation of gums from Prunus species Observations on the core structure of Prunus armeniaca (apricot-tree) gum, S. Afr. J. Chem., 39 (1986) 7-14. 

In most of angiosperm fruits coloration is caused either by flavonoids or by carotenoids. Fruits colored by flavonoids are, for instance, cherries, strawberries, black current and plums. Fruits colored by carotenoids are capsicum, tomatoes and hips. The waxlayer of glaucous fruits, e.g., of grapes and of the fruits of Prunus species, of juniper and figs, increases the UV reflection and hence their visibility for birds (D 3.2.4). 

Commonly, flavones are present in vacuoles of cells as O- and/or C-glycosides, but some compounds, especially simple and polymethylated flavones, occur in heartwood of Prunus species farinose exudates of Primula spp. and ferns ... 

Luthra, R., Sharma, B.N. and Paul, Y. (1980) Comparative study of lipids of seed kernels of some prunus species. Plant Biochem. J. 7, 159-166. 

The occurrence of flavones lacking B-ring hydroxylation - e.g. of chrysin - is noteworthy. A wider range of flavones occur in Prunus than in Pinus, with luteolin being repordes in Prunus ssiori. It is interesting that the barks of Prunus species appear to contain some of the 5- or 7-glucosides of those flavones that occur free in the heartwood. 

The volatile oil is called bitter almond oil. It is obtained by water maceration and subsequent steam distillation of the expressed and partially deoleated bitter almonds or kernels of other Prunus species that contain amygdalin these species include apricot P. armenia-ca L.), peach (P. persica (L.) Batsch.), and plum (P. domestica L.). During maceration, the enzyme (emulsin) present hydrolyzes the amygdalin into sugar, benzaldehyde, and HCN, the last two being distilled by steam. Sweet almond does not yield a volatile oil. 

In China, the stem bark and root of a related Prunus species P. armeniaca L., the apricot) has been used for centuries in treating apricot kernel poisoning. Recent clinical reports have substantiated this usage. Decoctions of the fresh bark were used to treat 80 cases of apricot kernel poisoning all patients were reported to recover completely within 4h (jIANGSU). 

Nowadays, HNLs from various plants have been isolated by chromatographic methods. In many cases the N-terminal sequence was established. Based on the N-terminal sequence and a highly conserved segment within the sequences of various Prunus species, the gene encoding PmHNL2 was amplified from genomic and cDNA from Prunus mume by different PCR methods [38]. 

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