4,5,6-Trimethoxyindeno[1,2,3-ij]isoquinolin-9-ol

An alkaloid isolated from Abuta imene and A. rufescens where it occurs primarily in the stems, norrufescine forms orange-yellow plates when recrystallized from Me2CO. It gives an ultraviolet spectrum in EtOH having absorption maxima at 248,303 and 334 nm with shoulders at 225 and 315 nm. In the presence of alkali, the absorption maxima occur at 245, 317, 382 and 495 nm with a shoulder at 230 nm. The structure of the alkaloid follows from its conversion into refescine when treated with CH2N2 .

Cava et al., Tetrahedron, 31,1667 (1975)