THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF SCELETIUM ALKALOIDS IN SCELETIUM SUBVELUTINUM L. BOLUS

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)87894-7

Six Sceletium (Mesembrine) alkaloids (1)-(6) are identified, together with N,N-dimethyltyramine (10), as constituents of Sceletium subvelutinum.The alkaloids (1)-(6) incroporate label from <7-14C>tyramine and 3-(<3.5-3H2>-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (13) as expected; notably 3-(<3,5-3H2>-4-hydroxyphenyl)propanal (15) is a more efficient alkaloid precursor than is the acid (13) and the aldehyde is deduced to be a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of Sceletium alkaloids.The N-methylamine (21) is an important late intermediate in the biosynthesis of Sceletium alkaloids, or is closely related to that intermediate.The amine (2) is less efficiently incorporated than (22)=(21) is.