Alkaloids from the Bulbs of Lycoris aurea

Two new and ten known alkaloids have been isolated from the bulbs of Lycoris aurea (Amaryllidaceae). The two new compounds, lycosinine A (=2‐(2,3‐dihydro‐1‐methyl‐1H‐indol‐7‐yl)‐4,5‐dimethoxyphenyl]methanol; 1 ) and lycosinine B (=2‐(2,3‐dihydro‐1‐methyl‐1H‐indol‐7‐yl)‐4,5‐dimethoxybenzaldehyde; 2 ), were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods. In addition, a plausible biogenesis of homolycorine from 1 and 2 is proposed (Scheme).