Abstract: | The dehydrogenation of cycleanine with mercuric acetate in 10% AcOH (at the boil) has been studied. It has been shown that it is accompanied by oxidative cleavage similar to benzyl cleavage under the action of electron impact. The main reaction product (without complexone) is the 8-(4-hydroxymethylphenoxy)-6,7-dimethoxy-2-methylisoquinolinium salt C19H20NO4Cl·1.5H2O, mp 196°C. The oxidation of cycleanine in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid gave the mercuride C19H19NO3I2Hg·2H2O, mp 240°C (water).All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Medicinal Plants, Moscow. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 676–680, September–October, 1979. |