(-)-Amarbellisine, a lycorine-type alkaloid from Amaryllis belladonna L. growing in Egypt

A new lycorine-type alkaloid, named (-)-amarbellisine, was isolated from the bulbs of Egyptian Amaryllis belladonna L. together with the well known alkaloids (-)-lycorine, (-)-pancracine, (+)-vittatine, (+)-11-hydroxyvittatine, and (+)-hippeastrine. The new alkaloid, containing the pyrrolo[de]phenanthridine ring system, was essentially characterised by spectroscopic and optical methods, and proved to be the 2-methoxy-3a,4,5,7,11b,11c-hexahydro-1H-[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-j]pyrrolo[3,2,1-de]phenanthridinol. By using HPTLC technique we also carried out a comparative study of the relative and total alkaloidal content at two different stages of plant growth. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of the isolated alkaloids was assayed. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.