Studies on the Alkaloids of Menispermaceous Plants. CCLI. : Alkaloids of Stephania cepharantha HAYATA. (8). : The Alkaloids of Stephania cepharantha HAYATA cultivated in Japan

Abstract

From the root tuber of Stephania cepharantha HAYATA (Japanese name "Tamasaki-tsuzurafuji") cultivated in Japan, cepharanthine (I), isotetrandrine (II), cycleanine (III), and berbamine (IV) were isolated together with a new crypto-phenolic base of bisbenzylisoquinoline type, cepharanoline (decomp. 270°, [α]³⁵_D +319° (CHCl₃), C₃₆H₃₆O₆N₂). The O-methylcepharanoline (mp 103°, [α]³⁰_D +287° (CHCl₃), C₃₇H₃₈O₆N₂) was identified by comparison with cepharanthine (I). The mass spectrum of cepharanoline revealed that the phenolic hydroxyl in cepharanoline is present in 4'-position. These experiments revealed that cepharanoline is represented by formula VII.