Planta Med 2008; 74 - PB58
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084403

Alkaloid composition of Rauvolfia sachetiae Forsberg from Marquesas islands

C Paetz 1, P Raharivelomanana 2, JF Butaud 2, JP Bianchini 2, K Yamaguchi 1, Y Asakawa 3
  • 1Tokushima Bunri University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kagawa campus, 1314–1 Shido, Kagawa 769–2193, Japan
  • 2Université de la Polynésie Française, BP 6570 Faaa, 98702 Faaa, Tahiti, French Polynesia
  • 3Tokushima Bunri University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 180 Yamaschiro-cho, Tokushima 770–8514, Japan

Rauvolfia sachetiae Forberg (Apocynaceae), is an endemic tree species growing in Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa islands located in the Marquesas archipelago (French Polynesia) [1]. The inner bark of R. sachetiae had been extensively used in Marquesan traditional medecine for centuries. Herein, we report the first phytochemical investigation on R. sachetiae aiming to identify its bioactive components.

A combination of chromatographic and spectroscopic methods had been used to isolate and identify the major components of the alkaloidal fraction of the inner bark extract of R. sachetiae. Our results report the identification of four new sandwicine-type alkaloids isonorsandwicine-Nb-oxide, norsandwicine- Nb-oxide, isonorsandwicine and isosandwicine- Nb-oxide, together with three known ones sandwicine, isosandwicine and sandwicine- Nb-oxide.

The first occurence of sandwicine had been reported from Hawaiian Rauvolfia species (R. sandwicensis and R. mauiensis) [2]. These findings established close phytochemical affinity between Hawaiian and Marquesan Rauvolfia species.

References: 1. Forsberg, F.R. (1981) Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 47: 21–24

2. Gorman, M. et al (1957) Tetrahedron 1: 328–337