Isoflavonoid constituents of the heartwood of Cordyla africana

Abstract

Five compounds have been isolated from the heartwood of Cordyla africana and shown by chemical degradation, synthesis, and spectral considerations to be 2′,4′,5′,6,7-pentamethoxy-, 3′,4′,6,7-tetramethoxy-, 3′,6,7-trimethoxy-4′,5′-methylenedioxy-, and 2′,6,7-trimethoxy-4′,5′-methylenedioxy-isoflavone, together with 6,7-dimethoxy-3′,4′-methylenedioxyisoflavanone. 6,7-Dimethoxy-3′,4′-methylenedioxyisoflavone has been synthesised and reduced to the isoflavanone; the former is considered also to be present in the heartwood. The mass spectra of these and related isoflavones have been analysed and the presence of the 2′-methoxy-group is shown to influence the fragmentation pattern profoundly.