Patent GB-1346891-A (GB)
Title: Alkaloids having therapeutic properties
IPC: A61K36/00
Filed: 1973-01-18
Abstract: 1346891 Alkaloids T WANDJI 18 Jan 1973 2702/73 Heading A5B An alkaloid Difeuine I, Difeuine II or Difeuine III and mixtures thereof are obtained by extracting the root of Pentadiplandra brazzeana (known in the Nde district of Cameroon as "Difeu") with alcohol, preferably 95% by volume ethyl alcohol, and evaporating the alcohol from the resulting solution in the absence of air under reduced pressure at a temperature of about 40‹C. Difeuine I has a lemon yellow colour, precipitates with the general reagents used for alkaloids, the evaporation residue from an alcoholic solution shows a violet colouration when treated with 10% by weight potassium hydroxide and Lafon's reagent, and in a solvent system comprising benzene, acetone and ammonia (100 ml, 20 ml, 20 ml) it forms spots of Rf 0.10 to 0.30, Difeuine II has a blackish brown colour due to oxidation by oxygen occurring the atmosphere, precipitates with the general reagents used for alkaloids, an alcoholic solution assumes a violet colouration when treated with concentrated nitric or sulphuric acid, an evaporation residue assumes a violet colouration when treated with Lafon's reagent, contains C 65.27%, H 7.26%, N 5.29% and O 14.4%, in a solvent system comprising benzene, acetone and ammonia (100 ml., 20 ml., 20 ml.), it forms spots of Ff 0.47-0.60, and a UV absorption spectrum in 95% alcohol shows maxima at 270, 220 and 200 nm; and Difeuine III has a dull brown colour due to oxidation by oxygen occurring in the atmosphere, precipitates with the general reagents used for alkaloids, contains C 54.31%, H 5.79%, N 3.10%, S 3.62% and O 29%, an alcoholic solution assumes a violet colouration when treated with concentrated nitric or sulphuric acid, an evaporation residue assumes a violet colouration when treated with Lafon's reagent, in a solvent system comprising benzene, acetone and ammonia (100 ml., 20 ml., 20 ml.) it forms spots of Rf 0.70-0.90 and a UV absorption spectrum shows maxima at 270 and 200 nm. Difeuine I is isolated from the alkaloid mixture by extracting the mixture with ether, e.g. petroleum or diethyl ether, separating the ethereal phase and evaporating the ether from the phase to yield solid Difeuine I, which may be purified by precipitation from an alcoholic solution thereof at 5-6‹C under an inert atmosphere; and Difeuine II and III are isolated by dissolving the non-ethereal phase in chloroform, adding an aqueous alkaline solution, e.g. sodium hydroxide solution, to the resulting solution, separating the aqueous and chloroform phases, evaporating the chloroform from the chloroform phase to yield solid Difeuine II and neutralising the aqueous phase with dilute mineral acid, e.g. hydrochloric acid, and separating the resulting precipitated Difeuine III. Pharmaceutical compositions for use in the treatment of anorexia, haemorrhoids, diarrhoea, amoebiasis, vomiting, colitis, ankylostomiasis, gastroenteritis, water retention conditions and deficiency and other oedemas comprise at least one of the alkaloids Difeuine I, II and III and an inert physiologically acceptable carrier. The compositions may be administered orally or rectally in the form of a solution or syrup.