Polyneuridine aldehyde: structure, stability overviews and a plausible origin of flavopereirine

Polyneuridine aldehyde is a key intermediate in the biosynthetic routes to the family of monoterpene indole alkaloids. The molecule is the first biosynthetic member of the sarpagan-type alkaloids and is an entry to the ajmalan-type and alstophyllan-type alkaloids. To date, no spectral description of the molecule has been reported. We provide herein a full structural description of the molecule. Polyneuridine aldehyde revealed to be highly unstable in solution with decomposition within few hours. Some degradation products were characterized including flavopereirine suggesting an artifactual origin from plant materials. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.