Abstract
A new, crystalline, deep blue pigment has been isolated from cornflowers ( Centaurea cyanus L.). The pigment is an iron complex of 4 molecules of cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside and 3 molecules of a “bisflavone” glucoside. The “bisflavone” glucoside is liberated on acid decomposition of the blue pigment, and chromatographic examination indicates that it is a single substance. On acid hydrolysis, however, it yields 7- O-methylapigenin and a second flavone which appears to be new and has not yet been positively identified. It is spectrally identical with 7- O-methylapigenin, and on the basis of its R f values it may be the 7- O-methyl derivative of vitexin. The reported properties of commelinin, the blue pigment of Commelina communis L., are strikingly similar to those of the cornflower pigment and suggest that these two pigments have an essentially identical type of structure.
Published Version
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