Isolation of polyprenols from tobacco and their separation by adopting new chromatographic techniques

Mahendra, K., Murthy, Y.L.N.,

Abstract

In recent times polyprenols attract the attention of bio-chemists because of their significant value as source of isoprene units for the synthesis of metabolically active quinones and Vitamin - K analogues. The present investigative study aims at the isolation of solanesol - a polyprenol from tobacco. The principle of isolation includes the extraction at 50ºC with n-hexane resulting 15-20 percent yield of solanesol. Elution of solanesol with hexane and ethyl acetate (95:5 v/v) has also been identified. The studies further include Chromatographic techniques employed for separation which produced good yield of solanesol with appreciable percentage of purity.