Antimicrobial agents from higher plants. The antimicrobially inactive components of Ptelea trifoliata L.

From the weakly antibacterial non-quaternary alkaloidal fractions from Ptelea trifoliata L. (Rutaceae), ten tertiary quinol-2-one and quinol-4-one alkaloids were isolated and identified. In addition, beta-sitosterol, beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucoside and bergapten were isolated. None of these compounds possessed perceptible antimicrobial activity. The weak antimicrobial activity of the neutral and alkaloidal fractions was traced to small amounts of pteleatinium chloride which had not been completely separated by bulk processes. Alkaloids previously known to be present in P. trifoliata which were found in this study ptelefoline methyl ether, pteleine and skimmianine. Alkaloids previously known but new to this plant were lunidoine and isomaculasidine. Alkaloids newly found in nature were neohydroxylunine, hydroxylunidonine, 6-methoxylunidoine, 6-methoxylunineand 6-methoxy-hydroxylunidine. The structure of the latter three bases is proposed tentatively.