HYDROXYCINNAMIC ACID-DERIVATIVES, CAFFEOYLMALIC AND NEW CAFFEOYLALDONIC ACID-ESTERS, FROM CHELIDONIUM-MAJUS

HPLC analysis of a hydrolyzed extract obtained from the aerial parts of Chelidonium majus yielded 0.4% caffeic, 0.06% p-coumaric, and 0.02% ferulic acids; gentisic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids were below 0.01%. The caffeic acid derivatives occur as esters of which four were isolated using gel permeation chromatography, centrifugal partition chromatography and HPLC; they were assigned on the basis of their spectroscopic data (H-1, C-13-NMR, UV, MS) as the new (-)-2-(E)-caffeoyl-D-glyceric acid, (-)-4-(E)-caffeoyl-L-threonic acid, (-)-2-(E)-caffeoyl-L-threonic acid lactone, and the known (+)-(E)-caffeoyl-L-malic acid.