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Planta Med 1978; 33(3): 223-227
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1097379

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

The Mitragyna Species of Asia

PART XXX: Oxidation Products of Mitragynine and SpeciociliatineE. J. Shellard, P. J. Houghton, M. Resha
  • Pharmacognosy Research Laboratories, Dep. of Pharmacy, Chelsea College, University of London.
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Publication History

Publication Date:
13 January 2009 (online)

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Abstract

During the TLC examination of extracts of leaves and young twigs of Mitragyna speciosa, from Thailand [1] there was evidence of small quantities of oxindole alkaloids corresponding to C (9)–OCH3 heteroyohimbine alkaloids and of possible indole N–oxides. Some of them were isolated and in order to identify these alkaloids it was essential to have authentic alkaloids for comparative purposes, which could only be obtained from known alkaloids. As mitragynine is the dominant C(9)–OCH3 heteroyohimbine alkaloid in Mitragyna speciosa it was decided to prepare oxidation products from this alkaloid. During the conversion of mitragynine to its corressponding oxindoles a third alkaloid was formed and as this was considered likely to be an isomerisation product of the mitragynine oxindoles it was necessary to treat speciociliatine in the same way.

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