Paper chromatography of pyrethrins and their derivatives

VARIOUS methods have been described for the chromatographic separation of pyrethrin-type compounds. Alumina, silica and kieselguhr have been used as adsorbents for separation of ‘pyrethrin I’ from ‘pyrethrin II’1–3. A separation of cinerin I from ‘pyrethrin I’, and ‘cinerin II’ from ‘pyrethrin II’, has almost certainly been achieved by Ward2, using displacement chromatography on alumina. The ‘pyrethrins’ have also been separated by paper chromatography using alumina-impregnated paper1 and ‘Vaseline’-impregnated paper4. Hitherto, untreated paper has only been used with success for the separation of the ‘pyrethrin’ 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones, using light petroleum (b.p. 80°–100° C.) as solvent1. The present communication records a simple chromatographic system for separating pyrethrin-type compounds on untreated paper.