PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS IN FERNS: I. A SURVEY OF SOME FERNS FOR CINNAMIC ACID AND BENZOIC ACID DERIVATIVES

Abstract

Forty-six ferns, representing 28 genera and 8 families, were examined for hydroxylated cinnamic acids and benzoic acids. In most plants examined the "basic complement" of cinnamic acids, p-coumaric, caffeic, and ferulic, was present. In these plants p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, and vanillic acid were generally also present. Of much more limited distribution were sinapic acid, syringic acid, and o-coumaric acid. Coumarin was shown to be present in Dennstaedtia punctilobula, the only fern tested which possessed this type of compound. The data available from three ferns reported in the literature are also included in this survey; one represents an additional family and one represents an additional genus.An experiment with DL-phenylalanine-1-¹⁴C and DL-phenylalanine-3-¹⁴C and Cyathea arborea showed the incorporation of label into p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid.