Three aporphine alkaloids isolated from Cassytha pubescens R.Br. have been identified as nantenine, domesticine, and isoboldine, all of which were previously known to occur in Nandino domestics, and a fourth as laurelliptine, an alkaloid of Beilschnziedia elliptica. One other aporphine alkaloid from C. pubescens is new, namely (+)-l-hydroxy-2-methoxy-9,1O.methylenedioxynoraporphine (nordomesticine).A sixth and minor alkaloid from C. pubescens, identified as sinoacutine, the (-)-enantiomer of salutaridine, appears to be the first example of a morphine group alkaloid to be found in the family Lauraceae.Cassytha pubescens R.Br., known as "downy dodder laurel", is a trailing parmitic vine belonging to the family Lauraceae. It occurs widely in southeastern Australia, and an examination has been made of samples collected in South Australia and near Melbourne in Victoria. Earlier investigations of the related species Cassytha jiliformmi L. led to the characterization of two new aporphine alkaloids, ($)-9-hydroxy-3,10-dimethoxy-1,2-methylenedio~poraporphine~~ and (+)-3-methoxy-1,2,9,10-bismethylenedio~ynoraporphine,~ which belong to a small group of aporphines having a C3 oxygen substituent. The name cassythinel suggested for the former base in our earlier paper should be dropped in favour of ~assyfiline,~ since Professor Tomita's publication on this Cassytha Jiliformis base was received for publication before ours. Although several aporphine alkaloids have been isolated from C. pubescens none has a C3 substituent.
Sinoacutine ( I )Particular interest is attached to a minor base, C,,H21N0,, which is not an aporphine and has been identified as the (-)-enantiomer (I) of salutaridine, a dienone alkaloid of the morphine group found naturally in Croton salutaris3 and also obtained by synthesis.3 Direct comparison of the infrared spectra of the Cassytha base and its 0-acetate with spectra of an authentic sample of salutaridine and its 0-acetate * P a r t I, Aust. J . Chem., 1966, 19, 297.