Cavanine, a novel α-hydroxybisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid from Sciadotenia toxifera (Krukoff and A. C. Smith)

Sciadotenia toxifera (Krukoff and A. C. Smith), a member of the South American Menispermaceae, has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of malaria and as an ingredient of curare. From the basic fraction of this bush-rope, a new bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, cavanine, was isolated. The novel structure of cavanine (1), incorporating a rare α-hydroxyl substituent on one of the benzylisoquinoline moieties, was completely determined by spectroscopic methods.