Spectrofluorometric Determination of the Toxic Constituents of Cleistanthus collinus

Spectrofluorometrlc quantltatlon of a Ilgnan lactone, diphyllin, and its glycosides cleistanthin A and cleistanthin B, the active principles of the poisonous plant Ctelstanthus collinus, is reported for the first time. Thin layer chromatographic resolution of the components precedes the fluorometric measurements. The method is highly reproducible and sensitive to 0.1 pg/mL for diphyllln and to 1 pg/mL for cleistanthins A and B in ethanol. The technique is employed for the assay of several biospeclmens of forensic and clinical importance.