What is "yuehchukene"

Yuehchukene is a dimeric indole alkaloid natural product that possesses anti-fertility and estrogenic activities. Yuehchukene is isolated from the roots of Murraya paniculata and other species of the plant genus Murraya. Its natural abundance is in the range of 10-52 ppm.

Yuehchukene consists of a tetracylic unit with a C6 indole substituent. Since its discovery no other natural product of similar structure has been found. Particularly, yuehchukene differs from other natural bis-indole alkaloids because it does not seem to be derived from tryptophan.

The steric environments of the two nitrogen atoms are very different. One nitrogen is part of a rigid ring system and is shielded by the C6 indole. The other is part of the freely rotating indole making it readily assessable and therefore more reactive.