Planta Med 2010; 76 - P246
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1264544

Phytochemical investigation of Alstonia marquisensis, an endemic plant from French Polynesia

C Paetz 1, O Laplane 2, S Soulet 2, P Raharivelomanana 2
  • 1Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Ecology, NMR, Hans-Knöll-Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
  • 2Université de la Polynésie Française, BP n° 6570 Faaa, 98702 Faaa, Tahiti, French Polynesia

The genus Alstonia (Apocynaceae) is a pantropical plant, well-known to be a rich source of original secondary metabolites including bioactive ones. Their leaves and bark had been reported from different countries to have traditional medicine uses to treat various ailments. We report herein a first phytochemical investigation of Alstonia marquisensis which is an endemic species grown in Marquesas archipelago. Since only a very limited amount of plant material (leaves and bark) was available, HPLC-SPE-NMR together with HPLC-MS was used for structure elucidation. From the leaves, phenolics compounds were found as major components: narcissin, 3-caffeoylquinic acid and 5-feruloylquinic acid as well as their respective cis-isomers. The examined bark material was investigated for the occurrence of alkaloid compounds. The identified structures belong to the akuammicine type such as alstovine [1] and vincanidine [2].

References: 1. Legseir, B., Phytochemistry, Vol.25, No.7, pp. 1735–1738, 1986.

2. Yagudaev, M.R., Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 210–212, 1983.