MICRODETERMINATION OF NATURALLY OCCURRING KAEMPFEROL

Abstract

Kaempferol, isolated from the flowers of a large tree, Pterospermum acerifolium Willd., has been quantitatively determined in micro amounts by using two oxidizing agents. In both of these cases oxidation has been effected in alkaline medium. When gold chloride has been used as an oxidizing agent the kaempferol molecule ruptured completely to its components at 58 equivalence, but in the case of ferricyanide as an oxidant the reaction completed at 14 equivalence resulting in the formation of p–hydroxy benzoate and sodium formate as main oxidation products. The products were isolated, identified and confirmed by spot tests and chromatography on paper. Maximum error in the two methods are 2.1 % and 1.4 %.