The Furoquinoline Group

A 5 kg. batch of minced leaves of Skimmia repent is thoroughly moistened with 10% aqueous sodium carbonate, and extracted twice by stirring at 50 with 301. pw-tions of light petroleum. The combined petroleum extracts are shaken with two 5 1. portions of 5% hydrochloric add, and the acid solution is washed with ether, basified with sodium carbonate and extracted with chloroform. Evaporation of the chloroform affords the crude alkaloid (average yield, 0.14%) which is purified by crystallisation from alcohol. 

Stuckert (16), who isolated four crystalline bases, which he named Of, P-, y-, and 5-fagarine. A re-investigation by V. Deulofeu, R. Labriola and J. de Langhe (11) led to the more complete characterization 

Chakravarty (18) has shown that the alkaloid aegelenine from Aegle marmeloa Correa (Bihar variety) is identical with y-fagarine. 

2%) in the bark of two Australian Rutaceae, Acronychia baueri Schott, and Melicope fareana Engl. It is also present in smaller amount in the leaves of the latter together with about 0.3% of skimmianine. The principal alkaloids in each case are iV-methylacridone derivatives, and these are separated from acronyeidine by extraction with chloroform from a solution in 2-5% hydrochloric acid. The more strongly basic acronyeidine remains in the aqueous phase and is precipitated on basi-fication (19). 

All the alkaloids of this group are well crystalline substances. Skimmianine is described as forming pale yellow prisms (10), but the other alkaloids are colorless. The ultraviolet absorption spectra of dictanmine and skimmianine are similar, both showii maxima at 2440 

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Known members of the furoquinoline group of alkaloids, particularly the ubiquitous skimmianine, have been obtained from a large number of new sources. Reported occurrences are listed in Table VI, which supplements earlier data (Volume IX, p. 227, Table I) and includes furoquinolines first obtained during the period 1957-1966 (Volume IX). The compounds in Table VI can be regarded as derivatives of dictamine (163). 

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