Synthesis of ellagic acid O-alkyl derivatives and isolation of ellagic acid as a tetrahexanoyl derivative from Fragaria ananassa

Ellagic acid {1} is a gallic acid dimer that occurs is plants, fruits, and nuts, either in its free form, or in a series of ellagitannins, or as a glucoside. It has been shonwn to inhibit cancer induced by several types of chemical carcinogens including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, N-nitrosamines, aflatoxin, and aromatic amines. It has been extracted from a number of fruits, including strawberries; however, its presence in the extracts was determined only by hplc collected with a diode array detector