Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 1982, 47, 2912-2921
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19822912

Alkaloids of Rauvolfia salicifolia GRISEB species

Patricia Sierraa, Ladislav Novotnýb, Zdeněk Samekb, Miloš Buděšínskýb, Ladislav Dolejšb and Karel Bláhab

a National Center of Scientific Research, Havana, Cuba
b Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 166 10 Prague 6, Czechoslovakia

Abstract

From the endemic Cuban species Rauvolfia salicifolia GRISEB nine alkaloids were isolated of which the following seven had been already described: (+)-ajmalidine (I), (-)-reserpiline (II), (-)-isoreserpiline (III), (-)-isocarapanaubine (IV), (-)-ajmalicine (V), (+)-vellosimine (VI), and (+)-yohimbine (VII). The structure of (-)-raucubaine (VIII) had been previously determined by X-ray diffraction and the structure of the alkaloid (-)-raucubainine (IX) was suggested on the basis of its conversion to (-)-raucubaine (VIII). The absolute configuration of (-)-raucubaine and (-)-raucubainine was elucidated by CD spectroscopy.