Studies on the Components of the Folk Medicine, Kaju Ular, in Timor Island

Abstract

Nine Strychnos alkaloids were isolated from the trunk without bark of Kaju Ular, a folk medicine in Timor island, whose original plant is assumed to be Strychnos ligustrina : strychnine, brucine, β-colubrine, ψ-strychnine, ψ-brucine, ψ-β-colubrine, strychnine N-oxide, brucine N-oxide and β-colubrine N-oxide. They were identified by direct comparison with authentic samples. This is the first report of isolation of ψ-strychnine, ψ-β-colubrine, and β-colubrine N-oxide from the trunk of S. ligustrina. Reassignment of ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of those alkaloids were made by use of the additivity rule and by considerating the effects caused by the introduction of oxygenated function at C-16 and at N-19. The result supported the previous assignment by Wenkert et al.