Catharanthus trichophyllus

Vinblastine has been found in the roots of Catharanthus trichophyllus (Bak.) Pichon, apparently for the first time.63rf Catharanthamine (322), a new alkaloid138 related to vinblastine, and with anti-tumour activity, is the first alkaloid of the group to contain oxygen at C-17 its structure was deduced from a comparison of its 13C n.m.r. spectrum with that of vinblastine. Proton n.m.r. data for vinblastine and leurosine are the subject of two further communications,139a,fc and 13C n.m.r. data form the subject of the third.,39c. 

Trichophylline, a novel alkaloid isolated from the roots of Catharanthus trichophyllus, has the structure 131, according to X-ray crystal structure analysis (145). Reduction of trichophylline with sodium borohydride gives an unsaturated lactone, formulated as 132. Oxidative fission of the C/D ring system in vincadifformine derivatives has been observed previously hence, trichophylline may arise by oxidation at C-21 of an appropriate precursor, such as a 19-hydroxytabersonine (88) or 108, to the hydroperoxide 133, followed by fission of the 20,21-bond and simultaneous migration of C-18. 

Catharanthus trichophyllus (Baker) Pichon, a plant native to the Mqjagasy Republic, had been found by the Illinois group to exhibit both cytotoxic and antitumor activity (26, 27). At least part of the cytotoxic... 

Segelman AB, Farnsworth NR 1974 Catharanthus alkaloids. XXXI. Isolation of ajmalicine, pericalline, tetrahydroalstonine, vindolinine and ursolic acid from Catharanthus trichophyllus roots. J Pharm Sci 63 1419-1422... 

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