A bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, shown to be identical with berbamine methyl
ether, this base occurs in A therosperrna rnoschaturn, Berberis japonica and
Stephania cephalantha. It is dextrorotatory with [α]17D + 146° or[α]20D +
150.7° (c 0.85, CHC13). When recrystallized from MeOH it forms colourless
crystals and furnishes a crystalline dimethiodide, m.p. 242°C. Four methoxyl
groups and two methylimino groups are present.
Kondo et al., J. Pharrn. Soc., Japan, 58,920 (1938)
Tomita, Fujita, Morai., ibid, 71,226,301 (1951)
Bick, Clezy, Crow., Austral. J. Chern., 9, III (1956)
Synthesis:
Inubushi et ai., Tetrahedron Lett., 3399 (1968)
