Abstract
Constituents of Hernandia ovigera L. (Hernandiaceae) collected in the Bonin Islands were examined. A neutral component, desoxypicropodophillin (9) and known alkaloids, hernovine (1), thalicarpine (6), hernangerine (3), and N-methylhernangerine (4) were detected in the rootbark. From the trunk-bark, a new alkaloid, hernandonine, was isolated and characterized in addition to the known alkaloids, hernovine (1), thalicarpine (6), hernangerine (3), N-methylhernangerine (4) and xanthoplanine (8). Hernandonine, orange-yellow needles, mp>280°, C18H9O5N. The structure (11) was suggested for this alkaloid from its spectral data, and confirmed by its synthesis from N-methylhernovine (2) according to the method previously reported by Tomita, et al.