PubMed2000
A particular Croatian petroleum (sample P1) and its three derivatives (samples P2, P3 and P4), potentially applied as healing preparations for skin and mucous membrane treatment, were studied in order to learn their composition and to discriminate them according to two criteria: composition of natural petroleum compounds, and lacking aromatics. Elemental (C, H, N and S) and group composition (by LC, UV/VIS, IR and 1H NMR) were determined and the single component distributions were analyzed (by GC) and identified (by GC-MS). Focussed saturated compounds (n-alkanes, pristane and phytane, drimanes/eudesmanes, steranes and hopanes) were studied in order to emphasize the preservation or destruction of genuine petroleum structures in derivatives. Samples P2 (petroleum-brownish color, petroleum like smell) and P3 (colorless, transparent, slight pine-like odor), were found, now constituting petroleum, to still be composed of the components of their native structure. Compared to sample P1, they were missing light and heavy compounds. While sample P2 contained different compound classes, sample P3 comprised exclusively saturated hydrocarbons, satisfying pharmacopoeia's requirement regarding the low aromatics content. Almost a half of sample P3 was composed of cyclic moieties, including terpenoids, possibly responsible for the odor. Samples P1, P2 and P3 were found rather rich in steranes. Sample P4 (colorless, transparent, no smell) was found denaturalized. In spite of high similarity in bulk properties to sample P3, it comprised no detectable amount of n-alkanes, pristane and phytane, or drimanes/eudesmanes, steranes and hopanes (although found rich in oligocycles).