The cyclobuta[b]quinoline alkaloid cyclomegistine from Teclea gerrardii I.Verd. (Toddalioideae: Rutaceae)

Abstract

The chemical constituents of the stem bark from a cultivated specimen of T. gerrardii in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, and of the fruit of the same species collected from the Lowveld National Botanic Gardens, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, were studied. The analysis of the stem bark showed the presence of the rare cyclobuta[b]quinoline alkaloid cyclomegistine. The fruit yielded the acridone alkaloids melicopicine and 1,2,3-trimethoxy-N-methylacridone, and the furoquinoline alkaloid skimmianine. Structures were established by the analysis of their spectroscopic data and comparison with reference values reported in the literature.