Extraction of tabersonine - from seeds of plumeroidees using alkaline solvent followed by acidification

摘要

(-)Tabersonine (I) is extracted from the seeds of Plumeroidees by the following process: (i) the seeds are crushed in suspension in a solvent in which the hydrohalides of (I) are insoluble, at an alkaline pH, (ii) the organic phase is separated, (iii) the liquid is treated with a hydrogen halide gas and (iv) the precipitate is recovered. (I) is an intermediate for the hemisynthesis of vincamine. The process is simple and gives good yields.