Lupin alkaloids 6. Stereochemistry of bis-quinolizidine alkaloids with γ-oxo-α,β-enamine system

Abstract

1H nmr, 1H,1H and 1H,13C COSY, and 2D J-resolved spectra of multiflorine (1) and 13α-hydroxymultiflorine (2) in CDCl3 were taken. Some erroneously determined chemical shifts in 1 were corrected and for the first time signals in 2 were assigned. Most of the coupling constants in 1 and 2 were established. A coupling constant of H7–H17β and chemical shifts for H17β, C14, and C8 were used to define the conformational equilibrium of boat or chair forms in the C rings, in 1 and 2 in solution. The results obtained confirm the previous findings based on chemical shifts of C12: ca. 75 and 70% of the "boat" conformer in 1 and 2, respectively, at room temperature. Of all the criteria used, the H7–H17β coupling constant seems to be least sensitive to the influence of substituents at rings A and D. From the Haasnoot equation, torsion angles of HCCH in regions of molecular geometry featuring low sensitivity to conformational changes were calculated. The hydroxyl group at position 13α has a slight influence on the geometry of ring D.