Structure elucidation and chromatographic identification of anthraquinone components of cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) detected in historical objects

• The structures of six new anthraquinones from cochineal were elucidated using NMR and MS.
• The compounds formerly described as DCII and DCIII, were found to be the 2-C-glucoside of flavokermesic acid and 4-aminocarminic acid respectively.
• The compounds formerly described as DCIV and DCVII were found to be the α/β C-glucofuranosides of kermesic acid.
• The new compounds were detected in insect extracts, in dyed fibers and lakes, and in real objects of the cultural heritage using LC–DAD and LC–MS.

Cochineal is one of the most well known organic red dyes. Dactylopius coccus Costa (Dactylopiidae) is a scale insect that is used as the source of the dye known as Mexican cochineal. Although cochineal is today a natural food colorant (E120) and although it has been used in art objects (textiles and paintings) for centuries, its exact chemical consistency is not well clarified except for carminic acid which is the major component and kermesic and flavokermesic acids. Several minor components (typically less than 5% of the colouring material) remained unknown or partially studied, although their presence has been reported in numerous analytical works related to art objects. Chemical investigation of the methanol extract of the dried insects, after subsequent HPLC chromatographic separations, led to the isolation and structure elucidation of six new anthraquinones, along with the known compounds carminic acid, kermesic acid and flavokermesic acid. The new compounds formerly described as DCII and DCIII, were found to be the 2-C-glucoside of flavokermesic acid and 4-aminocarminic acid, respectively, while DCIV and DCVII were found to be the α/β C-glucofuranosides of kermesic acid, and were studied as a mixture due to equilibrium. In addition, 3-O-glucoside of flavokermesic acid (DCOFK), and 3,4-dideoxycarminic acid (DDCA) were identified. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of their NMR and MS data. Finally, the new compounds were detected in silk dyed with cochineal, lake pigment and, furthermore, in historical objects of the cultural heritage (icon and textile) using LC–DAD and LC–MS.

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