Studies on the Chemical Constituents of the Chinese Drug,Shih-Hu Evodia rutaecarpa var.officinalis (Dode) Huang

Three alkaloids, a lactone and a new unsaturated ketone have been isolated from the Chinese drug Shih-Hu Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. var. officinalis (Dode) Huang, which was collected from western Hunan, China. According to m.p., thier mixture m.p., R_f,value of thin-layer chromatography, U.V.spectra, and the m.p. of thier derivatives, two of these alkaloids were identified as evodiamine, rutaecarpine and the lactone as limonin. The other alkaloid has been proved to be identical with hydroxyevodiamine by means of its m.p., R_f value of thin-layer chromatography, I.R.and U.V.spectra as well as the preparation of derivatives,wich has so far not been isolated from Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. collected in China. The last compound, provisionally named Shih-Hu A, C₁₈H₁₈O₆, m.p. 262℃, a30-65.5°(c = 0.061,CHCl₃),was proved to be a new unsaturated ketone. It U.V.spectra shows peaks λ_max^EtOHmμ (log ε): 217 (4.80), 243 (4.14), and 308 (3.57) and I. R. spectra λ_max^KBrμ: 6.02 (C=O), 6.17(C=C),13.24 (Aromatic out-of plane).