Abstract
The potassium-liq. ammonia cleavage of O-methylpilocereine was carried out in order to re-examine the structure (Ia) of pilocereine. In addition to the expected bases (II, IIIb, IVa, and IIIa), isopilocereine (Ia) and a phenolic base which is considered to be V were obtained. This result and new molecular formula C45H65O6N3 proposed lately by Djerassi, et al. pointed out the structure of pilccereine to be VIa. The formation of isopilocereine on treatment of pilocereine with potassium-liq. ammonia was illustrated as a normal cleavage reaction.
