Chemical Properties
colourless to beige crystalline solid
General Description
Colorless plates or beige crystalline solid.
Air & Water Reactions
Decomposes slowly on standing in air at room temperature. Insoluble in water.
Reactivity Profile
lasiocarpine is readily hydrolyzed by alkali. Reacts readily with oxidizing agents. Reacts slowly with atmospheric oxygen .
Health Hazard
ACUTE/CHRONIC HAZARDS: When heated to decomposition lasiocarpine emits toxic fumes of nitrogen oxides.
Fire Hazard
Flash point data for lasiocarpine are not available; however, lasiocarpine is probably combustible.
Description
A hepatotoxic alkaloid found in Heliotropiurn lasiocarpurn, the base forms
colourless leaflets from petroleum ether and has [α]20D - 4° (EtOH). It is readily
soluble in C6H6 or EtOH but only slightly so in H20. On alkaline hydrolysis it
furnishes angelic acid and heliotridine, C8H1302N, m.p. 116.5-118°C, forming
a hydrochloride, m.p. 122-4°C and the benzoyl derivative hydrochloride, m.p.
180°C. On catalytic hydrogenation it yields a base, C13H230 2N, b.p. 123-5°Cj
8 mm; [α]D + 3.8° (EtOH), yielding a crystalline picrate, m.p. 157 _9°C, and
lasiocarpic acid, C8H160 S, m.p. 95-7°C; [α]D + 10.6° (EtOH). The structure is
therefore angelyllasiocarpylheliotridine, both hydroxyls in heliotridine being
es terifie d
Uses
Lasiocarpine is a hepatotoxic and carcinogenic food contaminant.
References
Men'shikov., Ber., 65,974 (1932)
