Photophysical, photochemical, and thermodynamic properties of shikimic acid derivatives: calycin and rhizocarpic acid (lichens).

ABSTRACT

Photophysical and photochemical parameters of the lichen metabolites calycin and rhizocarpic acid were determined. Experiments were carried out in micellar solutions of 3% Brij 35, at pH 2 and 12, and in acetonitrile. Both metabolites absorb in the UV-A and UV-B regions, and emit fluorescence in the visible region of the solar spectrum. Shifts were not observed in the absorption spectra, at pH 2 and 12. The low phi(c), between 10(-5) and 10(-2), shows that both compounds are photostable in the experimental conditions. For rhizocarpic acid, two values of pK(a) were obtained 5.1 corresponding to the hydroxyl group, and 9.0 corresponding to the protonated nitrogen. Calycin presents only one value of pK(a) 4.9, that is attributed to the hydroxyl group. L-(+)-Gluconic-gamma-lactonic acid was used as a reference model; the compound showed greater photoinstability, demonstrating that the photodegradation observed occurs mainly in the oxolane carbonylic ring.