Chemotaxonomy of the pantropical genus Merremia (Convolvulaceae) based on the distribution of tropane alkaloids

A comprehensive GC-MS analysis of 18 spp. revealed altogether 74 tropanes and 13 pyrrolidines, respectively. Four aromatic 3α-acyloxytropanes (merresectines A-D) of chemotaxonomic relevance as well as 3α, 6β-di-(4-methoxybenzoyloxy)tropane (merredissine) have been isolated and structurally elucidated.