A Contribution to the structural elucidation of Tutin

Abstract

It has been reported T.H. Easterfield and B.C. Aston, J., 1901, 79, 120, that 'the animals brought to New Zealand by Captain Cook in both his voyages died in what was to him an unaccountable manner'. However, it appears from the nature of their deaths L. Lindsay, B. and F. Med. and Chir. Rev., 1865, 153; 1868, 465, that they died through eating one or other of the three New Zealand species of Coriaria, known collectively as tutu. L. Barth and M. Kretschy, Monatsch, 1884, 5, 65. Brit. Chem. Abs., 1884, 846. The poisonous constituent of this plant was first isolated by Easterfield and Aston T.H. Easterfield and B.C. Aston, J., 1901, 79, 120, and named tutin. They reported the substance as a glucoside C17H20O7, m.p. 208-209°, but subsequent data show the molecular formula to be C15H18O6. Tutin is a member of a series of closely related natural products named after the most thoroughly investigated member, picrotoxin. The picrotoxin series includes:-