Description
The literature concerning this alkaloid obtained from the roots of Aconitum
lycoctonum is somewhat confusing. All workers agree that it is amorphous,
weakly basic, and yields no crystalline derivatives. It is readily soluble in CHCl3,
EtOH, C6H6 and CS2 but only slightly so in Et20 or H20. The original formula
assigned to the base was C36H4601ON2, placing it in the aconitine group of ester
alkaloids. On hydrolysis with boiling H20 or dilute HCl it has been stated to
yield succinic acid and anthranoyllycoctonine whilst alkalies hydrolyze it to
lycoctonic acid (succinylanthranilic acid) and lycoctonine for which the formulae
C2sH3907N, C2oH330sN and more recently C2sH4107N have been proposed.
The alternative formula of C27H3406N2, suggested by Kuzovkov and Platonova,
appears to be erroneous in view of the hydrolysis products.
References
Dragendorff, Spohn.,Jahresb. Fortschr. Chern., 1394 (1884)
Marion, Manske., Can. J. Res., 24B, 1 (1946)
Kuzovkov, Platonova., J. Gen. Chern., USSR, 29, 2782 (1959)
