Phytochemical Study of Phellodendron Amurense Bark from Vietnam

Abstract

A phytochemical study of Phellodendron amurense bark of Vietnamese origin was carried out to achieve a detailed characterisation of its alkaloid composition. A total of twelve alkaloids were isolated and determined, including four tertiary (canthin-6-one, γ-fagarine, skimmianine, and platydesmine), and eight quaternary alkaloids (berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, N-methyltetrahydrocolumbamine, N-methylcanadine, N-methylisocorydin (menisperine), and magnoflorine). Centrifugal partition chromatography operating in pH-zone-refining mode was successfully applied for the separation of quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids. The alkaloid N-methyltetrahydrocolumbamine is reported for the first time in the species P. amurense, while N-methylcanadine is newly found for the genus Phellodendron. The results demonstrate that P. amurense with Vietnamese origin retains the characteristic to the species alkaloid profile, dominated by protoberberine-type derivatives.