Some benzophenanthridine alkaloids from <i>Bocconia</i><i>arborea</i>

Abstract

The minor alkaloids of B. arborea have been identified. Three of them have been shown to be dihydro-sanguinarine, oxysanguinarine, and 11-O-methyldihydrochelerythrine respectively. The structure of the fourth has been established by physical methods and by synthesis as the hitherto unknown 1,3-bis(11-hydrochelerythrinyl)acetone. It does not appear to be an artefact. The high resolution mass spectra of some dihydrochelerythrine derivatives are discussed.