Paper Chromatography of Pyrethrins and their Derivatives

Abstract

VARIOUS methods have been described for the chromatographic separation of pyrethrin-type compounds. Alumina, silica and kieselguhr have been used as adsorbents for separation of ‘pyrethrin I’ from ‘pyrethrin II’^1–3. A separation of cinerin I from ‘pyrethrin I’, and ‘cinerin II’ from ‘pyrethrin II’, has almost certainly been achieved by Ward², using displacement chromatography on alumina. The ‘pyrethrins’ have also been separated by paper chromatography using alumina-impregnated paper¹ and ‘Vaseline’-impregnated paper⁴. Hitherto, untreated paper has only been used with success for the separation of the ‘pyrethrin’ 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones, using light petroleum (b.p. 80°–100° C.) as solvent¹. The present communication records a simple chromatographic system for separating pyrethrin-type compounds on untreated paper.