Strychnos alkaloids. XXVII. Separation and characterisation of isostrychnine in Strychnos nux vomica L. seeds

Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicity of Strychnos nux-vomica L.: A Review

Strychnos nux-vomica L. belongs to the genus Strychnos of the family Loganiaceae and grows in Sri Lanka, India and Australia. The traditional medicinal component is its seed, called Nux vomica. This study provides a relevant and comprehensive review of S. nux-vomica L., including its botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, thus providing a foundation for future studies. Up to the present day, over 84 compounds, including alkaloids, iridoid glycosides, flavonoid glycosides, triterpenoids, steroids and organic acids, among others, have been isolated and identified from S. nux-vomica. These compounds possess an array of biological activities, including effects on the nervous system, analgesic and anti-inflammatory actions, antitumor effects, inhibition of the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and regulation of immune function. Furthermore, toxicity and detoxification methods are preliminarily discussed toward the end of this review. In further research on S. nux-vomica, bioactivity-guided isolation strategies should be emphasized. Its antitumor effects should be investigated further and in vivo animal experiments should be performed alongside in vitro testing. The pharmacological activity and toxicology of strychnine [Formula: see text]-oxide and brucine [Formula: see text]-oxide should be studied to explore the detoxification mechanism associated with processing more deeply.

Strynuxlines A and B, alkaloids with an unprecedented carbon skeleton from Strychnos nux-vomica

The investigation of the seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica led to the isolation of two novel indole alkaloids, strynuxlines A (1) and B (2), with an unprecedented 6/5/9/6/7/6 hexacyclic ring system. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated on the basis of their MS, NMR, and ECD data. A plausible biosynthesis pathway of 1 and 2 is also proposed.

Analysis of strychnos alkaloids using electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry

The fragmentations of four strychnos alkaloids have been investigated by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) in the positive ion mode. Experiments using multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR-MSn) allowed us to obtain precise elemental compositions of product ions at high mass resolution. The experimental data demonstrated that the nitrogen bridge and the coordinated oxygen atom on the nitrogen bridge in the alkaloid compounds were the active sites in the MS2 fragmentations. The loss of CH3 or the OCH3 group in those alkaloids, which have an OCH3 substituent, was the dominant fragmentation mode in the MS3 fragmentations. Logical fragmentation schemes for strychnos alkaloids have been proposed and these should be useful for the identification of these compounds.

New trends in the separation of active principles from plants

The extraction and separation of active principles of plant constituents is a difficult task, even for specialized chemists, when many similar substances are found in a single plant. In the case of the presence of alkaloids a separation method based on counter-current distribution with a discontinuous variation of pH can be used for the resolution of very complex mixtures. The alkaloids separated from twenty-seven medicinal plants are reported.