Antimicrobially Active Isoquinoline Alkaloids from Litsea cubeba

 

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Abstract

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the alkaloidal extract of the aerial part of Litsea cubeba led to the isolation of two new isoquinoline alkaloids, (+)-N-(methoxycarbonyl)-N-norboldine (1) and (+)-isoboldine β-N-oxide (2), together with 11 known analogues (3 – 13). Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic techniques and by comparing spectroscopic data with those in the literature. Compounds 1 and 4 showed antimicrobial activities. This is the first report on the presence of compounds 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12 in this plant and on the antimicrobial activities of 1 and 4. The bioactivities of isoquinoline alkaloids are also at least partly responsible for the pharmacological function of the folk medicinal plant Litsea cubeba.

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Prof. Dr. Xiao-Dong Luo

Kunming Institute of Botany

Chinese Academy of Sciences

134 LanHei Road

Kunming

People’s Republic of China

Phone: +86-871-522-3177

Fax: +86-871-515-0227

Email: xdluo@mail.kib.ac.cn

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