Planta Med 2008; 74 - PC156
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084674

Identification of minor components of Cotinus coggygria Scop. in archaeological textiles of Mount Athos

L Valianou 1, I Karapanagiotis 2, K Stathopoulou 3, P Magiatis 3, Y Chryssoulakis 1
  • 1National Technical University of Athens, Department of Chemical Engineering, 15773, Athens, Greece
  • 2Ormylia Art Diagnosis Centre, 63071 Chalkidiki, Greece
  • 3National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens Greece

Young fustic (Cotinus coggygria Scop., Rhus cotinus L.) (Anacardiaceae) has been used since antiquity as a dyestuff; Pliny mentions it in his Naturalis Historia. The identification of young fustic in samples extracted from historic textiles is based on the HPLC-PDA detection of sulfuretin and fisetin which are the major colouring components of the dyestuff [1]. Minor components of the dye are to a large extent unknown [2].

Continuation of phytochemical investigation [3] of the methanol extract of the heartwood has led to the isolation and structure elucidation by NMR and MS of sulfuretin and fisetin as well as 7,3',4'-trihydroxy-flavanone, 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-flavanone, 4,2',4'-trihydroxychalcone, 2,3 dihydro-fisetin, 2,3-dihydro-quercetin, methyl gallate, 3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxy-chalcone, quercetin, 4', 7-dihydroxy-flavanone, 4',7-dihydroxy-2,3-dihydroflavonol.

Textile fibers were mordanted with alum and dyed with young fustic. Fibers were then treated using the usual acid hydrolysis (HCl) procedure to extract the organic colorants. The procedure appeared to be quite effective as the aforementioned compounds were identified in the extracts. The method was then used to treat microsamples extracted from ecclesiastical garments (15th–18thcent.) which are housed in several monasteries of Mount Athos. Sulfuretin, fisetin and, for the first time, other characteristic minor flavonoids of young fustic were identified in historical extracts.

Acknowledgement: The project was funded by the General Secreteriat for Research and Technology of Greece (Program PENED 2003–697)

References: 1. Karapanagiotis, I. et al. (2008) Microchim Acta 160: 477–483

2. Westenburg, H. et al. (2000)J. Nat. Prod. 63: 1696–1698.

3. Stathopoulou, K. et al. (2007) Planta Med. 73:875