Iteamine, the first alkaloid isolated from Itea virginica L. inflorescence

Abstract

Iteamine, o-aminobenzyl β-D-glucopyranoside, is the first alkaloid to be isolated from Itea virginica. Itea is the sole plant source of D-psicose, a rare sugar likely to be a major dietary supplement. The structure of iteamine was established by NMR and confirmed by total synthesis. Iteamine and its galacto-analog (which was not found in Itea plants) showed no strong inhibition of any of the 15 glycosidases tested; unnatural galacto-iteamine was a weak inhibitor of chicken liver α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase.

Keywords: Grossulariaceae; Itea virginica; Iteamine; d-Psicose; α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase.