Novel glucoalkaloids from Rauwolfia cell cultures--acetylrauglucine and related glucosides.

From cell suspension cultures of Rauwolfia serpentina grown in an optimized production medium for the glucoalkaloid raucaffricine, a novel glucoalkaloid was isolated and identified as 17-O-acetyl-21-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-ajmaline (acetylrauglucine). This alkaloid is formed in very small amounts (less than 5 x 10(-4)%). The biogenetically related N alpha-demethylated base (acetyl-nor-rauglucine) and the deacetyl product rauglucine have also been detected in culture extracts. In addition 21(R)-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-hydroxy-sarpagan-17-al has been isolated and identified as an artifact which originates from raucaffricine.