THE ISOLATION AND STRUCTURAL ELUCIDATION OF LICONEOLIGNAN FROM G. URALENSIS.

From the chloroform soluble portion of alcoholic extract of the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (Leguminosae), well-known Chinese drug called Gan-cao,five crystalline substances were isolated by silica gel and alumina column chromatographic method. Beside the known substances β-sitosterol, licoricidin formonoetin, and licoricone, a new compound named liconeolignan, was obtained.Liconeolignan, C₂₁H₂₂O₅ with m.p. 80～81℃ possesses two. hydroxyls forming diacetate, C₂₅H₂₆O₇ m.p. 109～110℃ and dimethyl ether, C₂₃H₂₆O₅, m.p. 104—106℃. The chemical structure of liconeolignan was elucidated to be Ⅳ_a with the aid of UV, IR, NMR and mass spectroscopic studies, as well as alkaline degradation.