A Stephania alkaloid, this base is found in S. japonica Miers. It forms colourless
prisms from MeOH which contain solvent of crystallization, m.p. 75°C. The
solvent may be removed under vacuum when the dry alkaloid has a higher
melting point of 90-S°C. It is optically inactive and yields crystalline saits, e.g.
the hydrochloride, m.p. 150°C (dec.); platinichloride, orange prisms, m.p. 223°C
(dec.); methiodide, m.p. 220-loC and the methomethylsulphate, m.p. 235°C
after sintering at 227°C. The structure has recently been confirmed by a synthesis
which follows a route related to the biosynthetic pathway.
Kondo, Watanabe., J. Pharrn. Soc., Japan, 58,46 (1938)
Kondo, Takeda., Chern. Abstr., 49, 1076 (1955)
Synthesis:
Battersby et al., Chern. Cornrnun., 20, 1214 (1968)
