Synthesis of deuterated dihydrochalcones

Abstract

SummaryThe dihydrochalcones phloretin and phloridzin are major phenolic constituents of apple fruit. Phloretin-d 4 , deuterated at both the a and b positions, was prepared by hydrogenolysis of naringenin and by deuterium exchange from unlabelled phloretin using Pd/C and sodium formate with methanol-d 1 as the source of deuterium. Deuterated derivatives of the glycosides, phloridzin and naringin dihydrochalcone, were similarly prepared.