Isolation and Chemical Characterization of a New Constituent of Cape Aloe Having the 1,1-Diphenylethane Skeleton

The structure of a new constituent of Cape aloe was determined by spectral analysis and confirmed by total synthesis. This 1,1-diphenylethane derivative (6), which occurs in the drug in racemic form, was also obtained by thermal reaction of p-coumaric acid with orsellinic acid (or orcinol). These facts are consistent with a nonenzymatic origin of 6, which can be regarded as the first process product isolated from aloe.