Improved isolation of betulin and lupeol from birch bark and oxidation of their acetylated derivatives with chromyl chloride

An improved method of isolation of betulin and lupeol from birch bark is developed and reported. The method afforded triterpenes with purity of 98.2% (betulin) and 96.3% (lupeol), respectively. Chromyl chloride was also investigated as an oxidating agent of O-acetylated betulin and lupeol. The transformation of isopropenyl moiety to aldehyde group was...