The paper-chromatographic examination of the cardiac aglycones of Strophanthus seeds

Abstract

A paper-chromatographic method of identification of members of the group of cardiac aglucones was devised and applied to samples of Strophanthus seeds from many spp. S. hispidus andS. sarmentosus give very different and readily recognizable chromatograms due to the presence of strophanthidin (Rp 0.16) as the major component in S. hispidus. S. hispidus also contained strophanthidol (Rjr 0.05) and a trace of periplogenin (0.43). S. sarmentosus contained sarmetogenin (0.10) and the forest form was distinguished in all cases from the savannah form by containing sarveroginin (0.40). The distr. of these 2 forms in Nigeria is reported. Specimens from 9 other spp. were analyzed. It is suggested that the genus Strophanthus can be classified on chemical grounds into 3 species groups with the aglucones present in S. hispidus, those resembling S. sarmentosus, and those containing cuabagenin.