1. Alkaloids of some south american erythroxylum species
- Author
-
William C. Evans, Y.M.A. El-Imam, and Timothy Plowman
- Subjects
endocrine system ,Erythroxylaceae ,organic chemicals ,Alkaloid ,Tropane ,Plant Science ,General Medicine ,Horticulture ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,complex mixtures ,Biochemistry ,Cuscohygrine ,Erythroxylum ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Chemotaxonomy ,Genus ,Botany ,Dihydrocuscohygrine ,heterocyclic compounds ,Molecular Biology - Abstract
Fourteen South American species of Erythroxylum representing four sections of the genus were examined for tropane and related alkaloids. The alkaloid content of the dried material ranged from 0.002 to 0.20 %. Commonly, the alkaloids involved were esters of various tropanols with benzoic and phenylacetic acids. A new alkaloid, nortropacocaine, was isolated from E. mamacoca. Mass spectrometry indicated the existence of other new bases, cuscohygrine and, in some species dihydrocuscohygrine. Chemotaxonomic implications are discussed.
- Published
- 1985