The mass spectra of some new alkaloids extracted from Cissampelos ovalifolia are discussed. The compounds are shown to be tertiary bis-benzyl isoquinoline bases of an unusual type possessing a p-xylyl moiety. Some information about the relative positions of hydroxyl and methoxyl substituents in the macrocyclic ring system is also obtained.

The crystal and molecular structure of the phthalide isoquinoline alkaloid bicuculline, C20H17NO6, has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P21212~ (No. 19) with a = 14.49, b = 10.90 and c = 10'43 A. The atomic parameters were refined by least squares to give a conventional R-factor of 0.0437 for 1557 symmetry independent reflections.

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