title: Chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis of anthraquinone glycosides from madder roots.
abstract: For the production of a commercially useful dye extract from madder, the glycoside ruberythric acid has to be hydrolysed to the aglycone alizarin which is the main dye component. An intrinsic problem is the simultaneous hydrolysis of the glycoside lucidin primeveroside to the unwanted mutagenic aglycone lucidin. Madder root was treated with strong acid, strong base or enzymes to convert ruberythric acid into alizarin and the anthraquinone compositions of the suspensions were analysed by HPLC. A cheap and easy method to hydrolyse ruberythric acid in madder root to alizarin without the formation of lucidin turned out to be the stirring of dried madder roots in water at room temperature for 90 min: this gave a suspension containing pseudopurpurin, munjistin, alizarin and nordamnacanthal. Native enzymes are responsible for the hydrolysis, after which lucidin is converted to nordamnacanthal by an endogenous oxidase.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 8, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Goverdina C H
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Derksen
authors.forename: Martijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naayer
authors.forename: Teris A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: van Beek
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capelle
authors.forename: Ingrid K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Haaksman
authors.forename: Henk A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: van Doren
authors.forename: Aede
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Groot
mesh_terms: D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006027:Glycosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D019666:Rubiaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000880:Anthraquinones; D006027:Glycosides; C010078:alizarin; D006867:Hydrolases