Five indole alkaloids (naucleofficines
A–
E) were isolated from the stems (with bark) of
Nauclea officinalis: (
E)-2-(1-β-
d-glucopyranosyloxybut-2-en-2-yl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)-6,7-dihydro-indolo[2,3-a]quinolizin-4(12
H)-one (
1), (
E)-1-propenyl-12-β-
d-glucopyranosyloxy-2,7,8-trihydro-indolo[2,3-a]pyran[3,4-g]quinolizin-4,5(13
H)-dione (
2), (
E)-2-(1-hydroxybut-2-en-2-yl)-11-β-
d-glucopyranosyloxy-6,7-dihydro-indolo[2,3-a]quinolizin-4(12
H)-one (
3), (
E)-1-propenyl-4-hydroxy-2,4a,7,8,13b,14,14a-hepthydro-(4
,4aβ,13b
,14aβ)indolo[2,3-a]pyran[3,4-g]quinolizin-5(13
H)-one (
4) and 1-(1-hydroxyethyl)-10-hydroxy-7,8-dihydro-indolo[2,3-a]pirydine[3,4-g]quinolizin-5(13
H)-one (10-hydroxyangustoline) (
5), together with two known compounds, naucleidinal (
6) and angustoline (
7). All of the structures of the seven compounds above were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including use of 1 D- and 2 D-NMR spectroscopic analyses. Compounds
2 and
3 are rare examples of monoterpene indole alkaloids with a glucopyranosyloxy group attached to position C-12.
In vitro activity screening of the above seven compounds showed weak to moderate inhibitory activity against
Plasmodium falciparum.