Identifying Cucurbitacin in Cotyledons of Cucurbita pepo L. cv. Black Zucchini1

Abstract

Florisil column chromatography and silica-gel thin-layer chromatography were excellent preparatory steps for separation of cucurbitacins in cotyledons. It was difficult to identify closely related cucurbitacins by thin layer chromatography. Unstable cucurbitacin derivatives limited the use of gas-liquid chromatography for cucurbitacin identification; however, mass spectrometry was an effective method for cucurbitacin B.