Salicins and Related Compounds

The glycosides of salicyl and gentisyl alcohols in Salix spp. and Populus spp., genera of the Salicaceae family, have been extensively studied by Pearl et al. (124-130) and Thieme et al. (168-171) (see summary and references in ref. 123). Salicin (14), the glucoside of salicyl alcohol, occurs characteristically in this family of plants. This compound is found in the bark of all species in the family, but often in small amounts. Another characteristic compound of the many salicin-related compounds occurring in most Salix species is salicortin (15), in which the 

Phenylacetic acids have rarely been reported in woody plants. Thus, 4-hy-droxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid was indicated by paper chromatography in the bark of Pinus sylvestris (121). Recently, we isolated the taxifolin 3 -0-)5-D-(6 -0-phenylacetyl)-glucopyranoside from the needles of Pinus massoniana (154). A carbohydrate substituted with phenylacetic acid (20) does not appear to have been reported previously. 

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