Abstract
The methyl ether obtained from oryzanol-A and dimethyl sulfate is saponified with ethanolic potassium hydroxide to form 3, 4-dimethoxycinnamic acid and a neutral substance. Under a more drastic conditions, oryzanol-A itself is saponified to form the same neutral substance and ferulic acid. The neutral substance is a kind of triterpenoid alcohol and was determined as cycloartenol by the comparison of the constants of various derivatives and a mixed fusion of its acetate and benzoate. Therefore, oryzanol-A is cycloartenyl ferulate and the absorption in the ultraviolet range is due to the ferulic acid moiety. Oryzanol-B was also found to be the ferulate of a triterpenoid alcohol but the nature of this alcohol was not established. Its properties were similar to cycloartenol but its infrared spectrum revealed the presence of a vinylidene group, while cyclo-artenol possesses anisopropy lidene group. As shown in Table II, the constants of various derivatives were clearly different from those of cyclolaudenol, which possesses a vinylidene group.
