A STUDY ON TRITERPENE COMPONENTS OF CHICLE RESIN

A detailed study was carried out on triterpene alcohol acetates contained in chicle resin which is used as a chewin gum base. As a result, we have newly identified phi-taraxasterol acetate, taraxasterol acetate, eupha-7, 2, 4-diene-3-beta-ol acetate and tirucalla-7, 2, 4-diene-3-beta-ol acetate mainly based on H-1-NMR spectra, in addition to alpha-amyrin acetate, beta-amyrin acetate and luperol acetate which have been previously reported. Each of these newly identified compounds is a cyclic triterpene synthesized via dammarenyl cation formed through a ring-closure reaction of all-trans-epoxysquarene which is a chain-type triterpene.