Date of Award:

5-1967

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Plants, Soils, and Climate

Department name when degree awarded

Plant Nutrition and Biochemistry

Committee Chair(s)

George W. Welkie

Committee

George W. Welkie

Abstract

Fourteen compounds were isolated from an alkaline hydrolyzed extract of alfalfa leaves by using cellulose thin layer plates. The Rf values, fluorescent characteristics, and color reactions were given for all the compounds isolated.

Eight of these were identified as trans-ferulic acid, trans-p-coumaric acid, trans-caffeic acid, o-coumaric acid, tricin, syringic acid, cis-ferulic acid and cis-p-coumaric acid. The identity of the compounds was confirmed by comparison of the Rf values on thin layer chromatograms, fluorescent characteristics under ultraviolet light, and color reactions of spray reagents with those of authentic samples. Three of these compounds are phosphorescent at room temperature on thin layer cellulose. One of them was identified as syringic acid which is produced from tricin glycoside on alkaline hydrolysis.

The fluorometric properties of trans-ferulic, trans-p-coumaric, trans-caffeic, and o-coumaric acids were studied. The cis-trans interconversion of these acids by ultraviolet irradiation and alkaline hydrolysis were studied by means of fluorometric assay. The conversion percentage of all the acids in both treatments were also determined by fluorometric measurement. The conversion of the trans-isomer to the cis-isomer by ultraviolet irradiation under the same condition was greater than by alkali for each acid and the percentage conversion was markedly different for each acid.

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