In addition to (-)-mehranine, hecubine, ibogaine, ibogaline, 19R-epi v
oacristine, 20-hydroxyconopharyngine and pedunculine the novel indole
alkaloids 3-oxomehranine and 14 alpha,15 beta-dihydroxy-N-methylaspido
spermine have been isolated from the leaves and stems of Tabernaemonta
na bovina. The structure of 3-oxomehranine has been assigned by NMR in
vestigations, the structure of 14 alpha,15 beta-dihydroxy-N-methylaspi
dospermine by X-ray analysis and their absolute configurations by circ
ular dichroism. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.