A Reappraisal of the Structure of Lyaline as the First Naturally Occurring Nacycline Monoterpene Indole Alkaloid.

Lyaline (1) is a monoterpene indole alkaloid that was isolated in 1974 from Pauridiantha lyallii (Rubiaceae) in our laboratory and has not been reported elsewhere since then. Its structure was proposed on the basis of a very limited set of spectroscopic data (viz., 1H NMR and EIMS) as a structurally bizarre harman-1,4-dihydropyridine derivative. A total synthesis of this proposed structure 30 years later proved this product to be highly unstable, and inconsistencies with the original limited spectroscopic data indicated that the structure proposed for lyaline was incorrect. Having in our laboratory the initial and unique lyaline sample, we decided to reinvestigate it using modern spectroscopic techniques, 47 years after its isolation. Our new spectroscopic data confirmed that the initially assigned harman-1,4-dihydropyridine structure was incorrect, instead establishing lyaline as the first naturally occurring nacycline analogue. This structure revision substantiates a type of chemical reactivity of strictosidine first reported in 1975.

Combination of Machine Learning and Empirical Computation for the Structural Validation of Trirosaline, a Natural Trimeric Monoterpene Indole Alkaloid from Catharanthus roseus.

Chemical investigation of the emblematic Catharanthus roseus led to the discovery of trirosaline (1), the first example of a tris-ajmalicine-type monoterpene indole alkaloid and the first natural trimeric MIA ever reported from this deeply dug plant species. Its structure was primarily elucidated based on NMR and HRESIMS analyses, and the nature of its unique intermonomeric linkages was firmly confirmed based on a combination of empirical computation and ML-J-DP4 study. Its absolute configuration was mitigated by comparison of experimental and TDDFT-simulated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. A possible biosynthetic pathway for trirosaline (1) was postulated.

Structure elucidation of an aspidofractinine-type monoterpene indole alkaloid from Melodinus reticulatus.

The structure and complete NMR assignments of aspidoreticulofractine, an aspidofractinine N-oxide, are reported. Its structure was elucidated based on a combination of spectroscopic techniques including 1D and 2D NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and electronic circular dichroism.

Unifying the configuration of historical alkaloids from Borreria capitata through an extensive spectroscopic reinvestigation.

Reinvestigation of the structure of borrecapine and borreline through extensive spectroscopic analysis of their authentic samples led to the assignment of their absolute configurations. Newly acquired spectroscopic data determined that the previously assigned relative configuration for borrecapine was incorrect and that the claimed absolute configuration of borreline should be revised to its enantiomer.

Implementation of a MS/MS database for isoquinoline alkaloids and other annonaceous metabolites.

This data descriptor reports on the upload to a public repository (GNPS) of the IQAMDB, IsoQuinoline and Annonaceous Metabolites Data Base, comprising 320 tandem mass spectra. This project originated from our in-house collection of isoquinolines. The diversity of compounds included in this database was further extended through the contribution of two additional laboratories involved in isoquinoline alkaloids research: University of Angers and University of Manaus. The generated MS/MS data were processed and annotated on an individual basis to promote their straightforward reuse by natural product chemists interested in either the description of new isoquinoline alkaloids or the dereplication of isoquinoline-containing samples. The interest of the current repertoire for dereplication purposes has been validated based on the molecular networking of the well-investigated plant model Annona montana against the IQAMDB-implemented GNPS.

Five new cassane diterpenes from the seeds and bark of Erythrophleum suaveolens.

Five new cassane-type diterpenoid heterosides, i. e. two cassane-type amides (1-2), two erythrophlamine-type amine esters (3-4) and a non­nitrogenous erythrophlamine analogue (5) were isolated from the root barks (1-2) and the seeds (3-5) of Erythrophleum suaveolens. Their structures were unambiguously established by interpretation of their HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR data, and chemical degradation for sugar determination. Compounds 3-5 were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against a panel of three cell lines, revealing modest to strong activities.