Isolation and Identification of Taraxasterol and β-Amyrin from the Bird-lime of Balanophora japonic Makino

Abstract

In the present work, two triterpene alcohols, taraxasterol, C₃₀H₅₀O, m. p. 220-221°, α_??_+93.5° (acetate, m. p. 248-249°; benzoate, m. p. 242°), and β-amyrin, C₃₀H₅₀O, m. p. 196°, ?α?¹³_D+86.2° (acetate, m. p. 239-240°; benzoate, m. p. 232°) were Isolated from the unsaponifiable fraction of the ethereal extract of Balanophora japonica Makino (Balanophoraceae). Taraxasterol was isomerized to yield φ-taraxasterol (heterolupeol), C₃₀H₅₅O, m. p. 208-209°, which was further characterized as its acetate, m.p. 238-240°.
Palmitic acid was also isolated from the fatty acid-fraction.