Parinaric Acid from Parinarium glaberrimum

This chapter discusses the preparation of parinaric acid from Parinarium glaberrimum. α-Parinaric acid, is derived from the seed oil of P. glaberrimurn. cis-Parinaric acid and trans-parinaric acid and a number of their derivatives have been used in a wide range of applications as fluorescent probes. The freshly extracted oil is immediately dissolved in 300 ml of cool 5% potassium hydroxide in methanol containing BHT under an atmosphere of argon. Saponification of the oil is accomplished by gently reflexing the solution for 30 min with stirring. Stock solutions of parinaric acid in ethanol containing 0.001% BHT, stored at −20°, and flushed with argon each time they are opened, are stable for periods up to 2 years. Microliter aliquots of these solutions are appropriate for addition to aqueous biological preparations. For synthetic applications or long-term storage of large quantities of parinaric acid, one recommends that solutions of parinaric acid be frozen in benzene. It is found that pure, dry, parinaric acid is obtained by lyophilization of the solution.