Apparicine is a monoterpenoid tricyclic indole alkaloid.[1] It is named after Apparicio Duarte, a Brazilian botanist who studied the Aspidosperma species from which apparicine was first isolated.[2][3] It was the first member of the vallesamine group of indole alkaloids to be isolated and have its structure established,[3] which was first published in 1965.[4] It has also been known by the synonyms gomezine, pericalline, and tabernoschizine.[5]
Biochemistry
The alkaloid has been isolated from seven species of Aspidosperma.[6] It is the principal alkaloid found in the callus of Tabernaemontana elegans, and has also been identified in other Tabernaemontana species, including T. africana, T. divaricata, T. orientalis, and T. pachysiphon.[7][8] In studies of T. pachysiphon, it was found that alkaloid content including that of apparicine was greatest in young leaves and leaves receiving greater shade, and varied with leaf age, plant age, and provenance.[9]
NMR decoupling experiments revealed that apparicine lacks an N-methyl signal and has one methylenic carbon atom between the nitrogen atom and the indole rings, allowing researchers to distinguish it from uleine.[12] This was a notable early use of NMR decoupling to determine a chemical structure.[12] Its carbon skeleton was found to be related but different from that of uleine, and the structures of vallesamine and O-acetyl-vallesamine to be related to apparicine.[13]
Elia, J. (2008). "Tabernaemontana pachysiphon Stapf". In Schmelzer, G. H.; Gurib-Fakim, A. (eds.). Medicinal Plants 1. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Vol. 11. PROTA Foundation; Backhuys Publishers; CTA. pp. 593–596. ISBN978-90-5782-204-9.
Gilbert, B. (1968). "The alkaloids of Aspidosperma, Ochrosia, Pleiocarpa, Melodinus, and related genera". In Manske, R. H. F. (ed.). The Alkaloids: Chemistry and Physiology. Vol. 11. Academic Press. pp. 205–306. doi:10.1016/S1876-0813(08)60121-9. ISBN978-0-12-469511-5.
Joule, J. A.; Allen, M. S.; Bishop, D. I.; Harris, M.; et al. (1980). "Approaches to the synthesis of apparicine". In Phillipson, John David; Zenk, M. H. (eds.). Indole and Biogenetically Related Alkaloids. Annual Proceedings of the Phytochemical Society of Europe. Vol. 17. Academic Press. pp. 229–248. ISBN0-12-554450-2.
Mairura, F. S.; Schmelzer, G. H. (2008). "Tabernaemontana crassa Benth.". In Schmelzer, G. H.; Gurib-Fakim, A. (eds.). Medicinal Plants 1. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Vol. 11. PROTA Foundation; Backhuys Publishers; CTA. pp. 589–592. ISBN978-90-5782-204-9.
Monteiro, Hugo Jorge (1966). Studies on some indole alkaloids: the structure of vallesiachotamine. apparicine, an indole alkaloid of novel structure. the structure and chemistry of nervobscurine. tubulosine and its chemical correlation with deoxytubulosine, Parts 1–4.
Schmelzer, G. H. (2008). "Tabernaemontana elegans Stapf". In Schmelzer, G. H.; Gurib-Fakim, A. (eds.). Medicinal Plants 1. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Vol. 11. PROTA Foundation; Backhuys Publishers; CTA. pp. 592–593. ISBN978-90-5782-204-9.
Verpoorte, R.; van der Heijden, R.; Schripsema, J.; Sierra, M.; et al. (1989). "Secondary metabolites in cell cultures of Teabernaemontana species". In Kurz, Wolfgang G. W. (ed.). Primary and Secondary Metabolism of Plant Cell Cultures II. Springer-Verlag. pp. 138–148. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-74551-5_16. ISBN978-3-642-74553-9.