Spectrofluorometric determination of the toxic constituents of Cleistanthus collinus

Spectrofluorometric quantitation of a lignan lactone, diphyllin, and its glycosides cleistanthin A and cleistanthin B, the active principles of the poisonous plant Cleistanthus 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 microgram/mL for diphyllin and to 1 microgram/mL for cleistanthins A and B in ethanol. The technique is employed for the assay of several biospecimens of forensic and clinical importance.