Cells of Azulene-Containing Plants: Spectral Studies

The spectral study of the surface and isolated organelles of cells of azulene-containing plants of temperate climate, dry and humid subtropics of Russia was carried out. The presence of azulenes in leaves, flower petals, nuclei, and chloroplasts was detected, which was assessed by the appearance of blue color and characteristic maxima in the region of 580–640 nm in the absorbance spectra and 405–430 nm in the fluorescence spectra. These data were confirmed in experiments on extracts of these hydrophobic pigments obtained with acetone or ethanol. The pigments were extracted from the surface and from the inside of the leaves after infusing of intact leaves or isolated organelles (nuclei and chloroplasts) for 10 min or 24 h, respectively, then chromatographic purification of the azulene fraction from chlorophyll was done. The results obtained may be of interest for cellular monitoring of azulene-containing plants that may be useful for pharmacology.