Sesquiterpene Lactones of One Chemical Race of Helianthus maximiliani

Abstract

Dried B. officinalis was purchased from a local store and from the Indiana Botanical Gardens, Hammond, Indiana. Seed was purchased from Stokes Nursery, and plants were grown to maturity for identification (CSU Herbarium No. 53478; D. Wilken, Department of Botany). Alkaloid isolations from gardengrown leaves and stems indicated similar alkaloid content whether fresh or dried. Roots contained the alkaloids as the free base, while fresh leaves had mainly N-oxides. A purchased, dried, bulk sample of plant fragments (496 g) yielded 48 mg of a crude alkaloid mixture (Zn reduction procedure). Tic (with ochloranil-Ehrlich's reagent visualization (5)] showed two major and four trace alkaloids. One major alkaloid was identified as lycopsamine by 360 MHz pmr, ms, and tic comparison with a standard and with literature (6) values. The second was tentatively identified as supinidine viridiflorate (either cynaustine or amabiline) (6,7) by 360 MHz pmr and ms. A standard sample was not available for this identification.