The mass spectra and the proton magnetic resonance spectra of tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids, oxygenated at the 9-and 10-positions, show marked differences from the spectra of those oxygenated at the 10-and 11-positions. These differences may be useful in structural studies on new members of this group of alkaloids.Canadian Journal o r Chemistry, 46, 2501 (1968) The tetrahydroprotoberberines are a group of alkaloids biogenetically related to benzylisoquinolines and occur in a wide variety of botanical families. The basic skeleton (1) can be identified (1) by its characteristic ultraviolet (u.v.) spectrum ; however, no information regarding the oxygenation pattern of the alkaloids in question can be secured by this method. Recently, in the course of structural studies (2) on two tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids, substituted at 1-, 2-, lo-, and 11-positions, namely, caseamine and caseadine, we examined the mass spectra and the proton magnetic resonance @.m.r.) spectra of ten tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids. Our results show that there is a systematic way to characterize this group of alkaloids which should be useful to others engaged in structural studies on the tetrahydroprotoberberines. Mass Spectra of Tetrahydroprotoberberine Alkaloids The main fragment ions observed in the mass spectra of tetrahydroprotoberberines are given in The mass spectra of the ten tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids which we have examined are found in Figs. 2 and 3 and the pertinent data derived from them are summarized in Table I. With the exclusion of stylopine, the alkaloids may be divided into three groups; (i) those with a hydroxyl group in ring D, dl-scoulerine, capaurimine, and caseamine, (ii) those with 9,lOdimethoxy substitution, dl-canadine, dl-tetrahydropalmatine, capaurine, and, (iii) those with 10,ll-dimethoxy substitution, caseadine, caseadine-0-methyl ether and norcoralydine. Can. J. Chem. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by 54.149.104.195 on 05/08/18For personal use only.