In the recent chemical [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] and pharmacological [10][11][12][13][14][15] studies on the Rubiaceous plant, Mitragyna speciosa, [16][17][18][19][20] which has been traditionally used in tropical areas as a substitute for opium, 21) we have found that mitragynine (1), a major Corynanthe-type indole alkaloid of this plant, exhibited potent analgesic activity mediated by m-and d-opioid receptors.
22)Further, 7-hydroxymitragynine (3), 23) an oxidative derivative of 1, was found as a novel opioid agonist with higher potency than that of morphine.24) This remarkable opioid ligand was prepared from mitragynine (1) by conventional procedure, i.e., oxidation of 1 with lead tetraacetae [Pb(OAc) 4 ] followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the resultant 7-acetoxyindolenine (2). In investigating the first oxidation step in detail, we found a structurally and mechanistically novel dimerization product, as described in this publication.
Results and DiscussionIn general, 7-acetoxyindolenine derivatives are prepared from the corresponding indoles by oxidation with Pb(OAc) 4 . 25,26) When yohimbine was treated with Pb(OAc) 4 , we obtained the 7-acetoxyindolenine derivative in a quantitative yield. However, in the case of mitragynine (1) the yield of the desired indolenine (2) was up to 50%, and the presence of side products was shown on thin-layer chromatography. By careful purification of the reaction residue, we isolated 2 together with an unusual compound (4) in 3% yield, which showed molecular weight of 852 by mass spectrum. The UV absorption curve of 4 exhibited close resemblance to that of 7-acetoxyindolenine derivative (2), but the large log e value at 234 nm (log eϭ4.68) together with the molecular formula (C 48 H 60 O 10 N 4 ) obtained from high-resolution FAB-MS spectrum indicated the presence of two units of indolenine chromophore derived from mitragynine (1). The 1 H-and 13 C-NMR spectra of 4 clearly showed the presence of two sets of the fundamental structural units in the mother compound, mitragynine (1), i.e., two b-methoxyacrylic acid methyl ester residues, two ethyl groups and two 9-methoxy groups on the aromatic ring. Further, the presence of one acetoxy group was shown by the 1 H-NMR (d 2.09, 3H, s) and 13 C-NMR (d 168.3, 20.8) spectra. In the 13 C-NMR spectrum, two characteristic signals due to indolenine carbons at C-2 or C-2Ј (d 187.1, 181.1) as well as two newly formed quaternary carbons at C-7 or C-7Ј (d 61.7, 84.5) were observed. Therefore, it became clear that compound (4) had the usual acetoxyindolenine unit in the molecule. In the 1 H-NMR spectrum, a set of three aromatic protons at d 6.65 (doublet), 7.22 (doublet of doublet), and 7.32 (doublet) same as those of 1 and a set of meta-coupled protons at d 6.07 (singlet-like) and 7.35 (singlet-like) were observed. This indicated that one of the two indolenine units had a substituent at the C-11 position and the other one was intact as regards the substituent mode on the benzene ring. In the 1 H-detected heteronuclear multiple-bond correlati...