ENANTIOSELECTIVE CAPILLARY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY IN THE INVESTIGATION OFSTEREOCHEMICAL CORRELATIONS OF TERPENOIDS

Capillary gas chromatography employing the unique selectivities of spe cifically substituted cyclodextrins is highly suited for stereochemica l investigations of terpenoid compounds. The analysis of many essentia l oils have shown that monoterpene derivatives regularly occur as enan tiomeric mixtures. In the case of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, liverwor ts (Hepaticae) and other lower organisms usually biosynthesize compoun ds of opposite stereochemistry as compared to higher plants and enanti omeric mixtures occur only occasionally. The investigation of diterpen e hydrocarbons has so far shown no indication of the presence of both enantiomers in the same plant. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.