The Use of Anisaldehyde Sulfuric Acid as an Alternative Spray Reagent in TLC Analysis Reveals Three Classes of Compounds in the Genus <em>Usnea</em> Adans. (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycota)

Abstract

Presence and identity of secondary metabolites are two of the main components of lichen taxonomy. Aromatic compounds formed via the acetyl-polymalonate pathway are the most studied lichen substances. In addition, compounds derived from the mevalonic acid pathway (e.g. terpenes and steroids) are sometimes detected in the medulla. However, their identity and value as diagnostic characters in the genus Usnea are yet poorly understood despite the fact that they were mentioned in several taxonomical papers. We conclude that i) aside from the previously recognized polyphenolic compounds, carbohydrates and steroids are also detected in the medulla of some Usnea species; ii) the use of sulfuric anisaldehyde reagent greatly improves the detection of terpenes, carbohydrates and steroids compared with the sulfuric acid reagent routinely used in thin layer chromatography; iii) among carbohydrates, we detected arabitol and sucrose in the medulla; iv) steroids and terpenes remain unidentified and deserve further investigations.

High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography Hyphenated with Microchemical and Biochemical Derivatizations in Bioactivity Profiling of Marine Species

“…Monoterpenes, triterpenes and steroids usually appear as blue, purple and gray spots [23]. Derivatization using p-anisaldehyde/sulfuric acid creates brown spots for diterpenes [22], while triterpenes produce a blue violet color under visible/white light, and a reddish or blue color under UV at 366 nm [24,25].…”

Enhanced Pharmaceutically Active Compounds Productivity from Streptomyces SUK 25: Optimization, Characterization, Mechanism and Techno-Economic Analysis

“…Then, the chromatograms were sprayed with 10% H 2 SO 4 in ethanol and heated at 100 °C for 10 min. The compounds with comparable R f in TLC were mixed homogeneously, as reported by [ 53 ].…”

Purification and Characterization of Anabaena flos-aquae Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase as a Novel Approach for Myristicin Biotransformation

“…The aqueous basic solution was extracted with ether, and the pooled ether extracts were evaporated till dryness under reduced pressure. The hydrohalogenation and/or amination reactions were monitored by precoated thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates (silica gel 60, GF 254 (60-250 mesh), Merck, Germany) using a solvent system (hexane: methylene chloride (1:1)) and p-anisaldehyde sulfuric acid spray according to Gerlacha et al [69], as visualizing agent. The TLC plates were heated for about 5 min at 100°C, and resultant oil from hydrohalogenation and/or amination reactions was analyzed directly by GC-MS. GC-MS analysis of synthesized MMDA.…”