Abuta imene

Abuta imene (Mart) Eiehl. A. rufescens Aubl. 

Abuta imene Eichl, and A. rufescens Griseb. (Menispermaceae) (XIII, 397) ... 

A new oxoaporphine alkaloid is oxostephanine (38) from Stephania japonica. Imerubrine, found together with a variety of oxoaporphines and azafiuoranthenes in the South American vines Abuta imene and A. rufescens has been tentatively... 

A new azahuoranthene alkaloid, produced by Abuta imene and A. rufescens, is the phenolic norrufescine (47). ... 

The unusual alkaloids imeluteine (99) and rufescine (100), found in Abuta imene and A. rufescens, probably originate biogenetically from decarbonylation of oxo-aporphine precursors. Such an in vivo pathway is supported by the observation that Abuta imene also produces the oxoaporphine homomoschatoline (1,2,3-trimethoxyoxoaporphine). It is unlikely, on the other hand, that azafluoranthenes... 

Azafluoranthenes.—Two alkaloids of a novel type are imeluteine (234) and rufescine (235), isolated from the Amazonian vines Abuta imene and A. rufescens (Menispermaceae). The structures of both alkaloids were confirmed by synthesis using the Bischler-Napieralski and Pschorr sequences. 

Cava MP, Buck KT, Noguchi I, Srinivasan M, Rao MG (1975) The alkaloids of Abuta imene and Abuta rufescens. Tetrahedron 31 1667-1669 Coenen H (1954) Uber das Jahr der Morphiumentdeckung Sertiirners in Paderborn. Arch Pharm 287 165-180... 

The first TROPOL was imerubrine, isolated by Cava et al. from Abuta imene (38). In that paper, the chemical structure was erroneously assigned as an oxoaporphine. Later when the same authors isolated a second TROPOL (grandirubrine) from Abuta grandiflora (39), this new type of alkaloid was established. 

The Tetitoxicum genus is closely related to some Abuta species such as A. imene and A. rufescens based on the constituents present which are mainly oxoaporphines and azafluoranthenes. It is possible dial 4,5-dioxoaporphines may also be present in some of these Abuta species. 

Collections have also been cited under the names Sciadotenia duckei Moldenke and Abuta selloana Eichler [34, 46]. Bameby and Krukoff [141] point out that this latter taxon could also be considered a geographical subspecies of A. imene. 

The genus differs little from Telitoxicum in its fruit characters, but is readily distinguished by the apetalous staminate flowers and penninerved leaf blades. Details of the fruit structure and the apetalous flowers serve to differentiate it from Anomospermum. The fruit pericarp in Abuta is dry and firm. In some species, e.g. A. imene and A. sandwithiana, there is a considerable amount of pulpy mesocarp (140). 

---