Strychnos icaja

Indole alkaloids Strychnos icaja roots SiOj Hx + CHCI3 + MeOH + HjO AcOEt + iPrOH + NH3 aqueous DragendorlTs reagent UV Antimalarial, cytotoxic activity 14... 

As a further aside before launching into topics specifically germane to this review, it was interesting to note a paper that appeared in the recent version of early view for the Journal of Natural Products. Despite the extensive of members of the Strychnos family, the diversity of nature can still hold unique surprises. In particular, an unprecedented unsymmetrical bis-indole skeleton from the roots of Strychnos icaja that the authors have named strychnobaihonine (1) [4]. Thus far, there has been no application of HMBC to this compound or the related compounds in that report but, as more and more laboratories have access to spectrometers equipped with cryogenic probes, it is a virtual certainty that studies of this and other alkaloids, as yet unimagined, will appear. 

A.T. Tchina, A. Jansen, J.-N. Nyemb, M. Tits, G. Dive, L. Angenot, M. Frederich, StrychnobaiUonine, an unsymmetrical bisindole alkaloid with an unprecedented skeleton from Strychnos icaja roots, J. Nat. Prod. 77 (2014) 1078-1082. 

Sungucine (193) is a dimeric Strychnos alkaloid of quite a new type which has been isolated from the roots of S. icaja.113 The structure, which was elucidated by X-ray crystallography, is that of a dimer of deoxyisostrychnine, the attachment between the monomer units being via C-5 and C-23. 

Strychnos nux-vomica [seed] (nux-vomica), S. ignatii (ignatius bean), S. icaja, S. tieute, S. triplinerma (Loganaciae) Adolph Hitler took anti-flatulence pills containing Strychnine Atropine — he also took Methamphetamine Cocaine as medications... 

Alkaloid from the seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica, from S. wallichiana and from very many other S. spp. Bark of S. icaja is richest known source (6.6%) (Strychnaceae). Violent tetanic poison, employed comly. in vermin killers. Small doses used as tonics. Use as animal poison prohibited in UK, pharmaceutical use essentially obsolete. Important tool in neurophysiological research. CNS stimulant. Convulsant. Cholinesterase inhibitor. Tonic. Used as 2% aq. soln. for photometric detn. of P04 , NO, , NO3 . Mp 270-271° (slow heat), Mp 275-285°, Mp 286-288°. -139° (CHCI3), [aj, -104°... 

---