Abstract
Thiarubrine A, an antimicrobial and nematocidal 1,2-dithiin polyyne has been reported to be a constituent of Aspilia leaves swallowed whole by chimpanzees. Aspilia samples were analyzed for the presence of thiarubrine A and other sulfur-containing polyynes using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and an antifungal bioassay. Thiarubrines A, B, D, and E and their corresponding thiophenes were not present in the leaves of three Aspilia species including A. mossambicensis and A. rudis, which are swallowed by chimpanzees at Mahale Mountains National Park and Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Antifungal activity, indicative of the presence of thiarubrines, was not detected in Aspilia leaf samples. Small amounts of thiarubrines A and B, and thiophenes A and B were found in A. mossambicensis roots. Analysis of three North American taxa found high concentrations of thiarubrines and thiophenes in the roots of Eriophyllum lanatum and Chaenactis douglasii, and the roots and leaves of Ambrosia chamissonis.
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Page, J.E., Huffman, M.A., Smith, V. et al. Chemical Basis for Aspilia Leaf-Swallowing by Chimpanzees: A Reanalysis. J Chem Ecol 23, 2211–2226 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006440.57230.a9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOEC.0000006440.57230.a9