Application of a new TLC chemical method for detection of cyclopeptides in plants

Cyclopeptides have been investigated phytochemically less often because until now there has not been a special chemical method to detect them. Since we found cyclopeptides inPseudostellaria heterophylla (Caryophyllaceae) in 1991, we have gradually established a special chemical detection method for detecting cyclopeptides in plants, which induces a new thin layer chromatography (TLC) protosite reaction with ninhydrin reagent. With this method, our group isolated and determined 73 cyclopeptides from 17 plants which belong to 5 families and 14 genuses, they are from dicyclopeptides to undecacyclopeptides, including 68 new ones, and were determined based on spectral, chemical and enzymic methods, especially 2D NMR and FAB-MS. Meantime, with this method cyclopeptides can be distinguished from peptidic amides based on their behaviour in TLC.