Chinchona alkaloid from Dendrosenecio kilimanjari subsp. cottonii.

Investigation of the Tanzanian Dendrosenecio kilimanjari subsp. cottonii resulted in the isolation of the cinchona alkaloid, cinchonidine. Conversion of cinchonidine to deoxy-cinchonidine was achieved in high yield using zinc dust in aqueous sulphuric acid. This illustrates the first reduction of a quinoline system using these reagents.