IDIOSPERMULINE, A TRIMERIC PYRROLIDINOINDOLINE ALKALOID FROM THE SEEDOF IDIOSPERMUM AUSTRALIENSE

Purificarion of a methanol extract from the seed of Idiospermum austra liense, guided by bioactivity on a rat brain cortical wedge preparatio n has afforded two known dimeric alkaloids, the piperidinoindoline, ()-calycanthine [1] and the pyrrolidinoindoline, (-)-chimonanthine [2] along with a new trimeric pyrrolidinoindoline alkaloid, (-)-idiospermu line [3]. The structure of idiospermuline [3] was determined by spectr oscopic methods and the absolute configuration by an X-ray crystallogr aphic study of idiospermuline trimethiodide [4].