3-MONOTERPENYL 2,4-DIOXYGENATED QUINOLINE ALKALOIDS FROM THE AERIAL PARTS OF ERIOSTEMON-AUSTRALASIUS SUBSP BANKSII (RUTACEAE)

An extract of the aerial parts of Eriostemon australasius Pers. subsp. banksii (A. Cunn. ex Endl.) P. G. Wilson (Rutaceae), collected from t he Cape York Peninsula, has yielded four novel secondary metabolites. These were identified, by spectroscopic methods, as methyl (E)-4-(3'-m ethylbut-2'-enyloxy)cinnamate, cis-erioaustralasine xy-3'beta,4'beta-p ara-menth-3'-yl)quinolin-2-one], trans-erioaustralasine xy-3'beta,4'al pha-para-menth-3'-yl)quinolin-2-one] and furoerioaustralasine droxy-3' alpha,4'alpha-para-menth-3'-yl)quinoline]. The structure of cis-erioau stralasine was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic studies. The taxono mic significance of the occurrence of these alkaloids in E. australasi us is discussed.