Isolation and characterization of a tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloid from Crassula ovata

The presence of alkaloids in Crassula ovata is a topic that is still unexplored, as there are no published studies on the matter. This study demonstrates the presence of an alkaloid compound (and its class) for the first time in Crassula ovata. The plant material was defatted with n-hexane, and a Soxhlet apparatus was used for the extraction process, while the acid-base method was used for the isolation of alkaloids from the chloroform fractions. The quaternary alkaloid was precipitated from the aqueous layer spontaneously, in high quantity. By using standard spectroscopic methods (including liquid chromatography - mass spectroscopy) we were able to clarify the structure of the precipi¬tated compound as a tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloid based on the general fragmentation pattern of this class of alkaloids and the retro-Diels-Alder reaction; a characteristic fragmentation pathway of tetrahydroprotoberberine alka¬loids.