Spectroscopic characterization of N-isobutyl-6-(p-methoxyphenyl) 2E,4E-hexadieneamide extracted from Ottonia propinqua

The plants of the genus Ottonia have found applications as local anesthetics and hallucinogens. The extraction process of the main chemical component of the Ottonia propinqua root, which belongs to the family of Piperacea, is described here. The principle chemical component of this root was found to be N-isobutyl-6- p-methoxyphenyl) 2E,4E-hexadiencamide. Its molecular structure was confirmed by chemical analysis and spectroscopic characterization. The vibrational Raman scattering (RS), the infrared (IR) absorption spectra, and the UV-VIS electronic spectra of the amide are reported. The spectral interpretation was aided by calculation of IR and Raman intensities using the Hartree-Fock (HF) Hamiltonian in Gaussian '98. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.