Studies on the methylation of cymarose

Abstract

It could be shown by in vivo feeding experiments that S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) was an active methyl group donor for the formation of the 3-O-methyl group of d-cymarose in the cardiac glycoside cymarin. Glucose on the other hand was transformed into the main carbon skeleton of d-cymarose and it was only used to a small extent for the formation of the 3-O-methyl group.