Colchicine → 3-Demethylcolchicine

Participants

Reaction Steps

Using the same procedure as for colchicine, after evaporating the solvents 10 ml of a 10% methanolic K2CO3 solution was added and the mixture stirred for 1 h. The MeOH was evaporated and cold 2N HCl was added until pH 6-7. Extraction with CHCl3, washing with brine, drying and evaporating gave a brown residue which was purified by flash chromatography (CHCl3 /MeOH 100:7) and crystallized from CHCl3 : 2 as a light yellow solid, (51% yield), mp 246°-248° C., [α]D25 0° (c 0.12, MeOH).

Provenance & Evidence