ARTAVENUSTINE, A CATECHOLIC BERBINE FROM ARTABOTR YS VENUSTUS

Abstract

The stem bark of Artabottys venustus yielded 0.34% of crude bases, mostly known aporphinoids and berbinoids. One of the minor constituents, (-)-artavenustine (12), is a new member of the rare class of catecholic isoquinoline alkaloids which are of interest as biogenetic precursors of novel alkaloid types. Its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods, in particular nOeds and 2-D nmr, and by chemical correlation with xylopinine. Other substances isolated are nornuciferine, asimilobine, anonaine, norstephalagine, norushinsunine, nuciferine, lirinidine, (S)-reticuline, norcorydine, discretamine, and 10-0-demethyldiscretine