Isolation of mopanin from Colophospermum mopane and interrelation of flavonoid components of Peltogyne spp.

Abstract

A new compound, mopanin, the flavonol analogue of (+)-mopanol, and fisetin are obtained from Colophospermum mopane.

(+)-Mopanol and (+)-peltogynol are isolated from the heartwood of Peltogyne pubescens. Concomitance also with their 4-epimers in P. porphyrocardia, P. venosa and in a sample of commerical “purple heart”(Peltogyne spp.), closely parallels the known situation in C. mopane. Mopanols and peltogynols are accompanied by traces of (+)-trans, trans-leucofisetinidin and its 4-epimer in the outer heartwood of P. pubescens and P. prophyrocardia. The implications of the concurrence of these two groups of compounds is discussed.

The anthocyanidins peltogynidin and mopanidin are present in the heartwoods of these species.