Calycanthus floridus

Folicanthine (6), Chimonanthine (7), mcsu-Chimonanthine (8), and Calycanthi-dine (9).—Folicanthine occurs in Calycanthus floridus L. and C. occidentalis Hook, et Arn. It follows from molecular weight determinations and the isolation of 1.6 moles of N, )iV(j,)-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrotryptamine (10) on zinc-acid reduction that it is a dimer of X( )A(j,)-dimethyltryptamine. Treatment of folicanthine dimethiodide with sodium hydroxide gives the key compound (11), whose structure follows from its ready acid-catalysed cleavage to the indole... 

It has recently been shown that Calycanthus floridus plants, on being fed with [2- C]tryptophan, produce specifically labelled folicanthine (6). - Tryptophan is thus serving as a specifically monomeric precursor of folicanthine. It seems highly probable that the biosynthesis also includes the coupling of two indolyl radicals of the type (16). 

Eiter K, Svierak O 1951 Folicanthine, a new alkaloid from the leaves of Calycanthus floridus. Monatschrift 82 186-188... 

Labeled tryptophan- C when administered to Calycanthus floridus L. is incorporated into the calycanthine molecule 49). 

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