Features of the splitting out of a methyl radical from lycoctonine alkaloids under electron impact

The mass spectra of 53 alkaloids and their derivatives are considered. It is known that the presence of a C6(OCH3)-C7(OH)-C8 (OH) grouping in C19-diterpene alkaloids leads to a high intensity of the (M - 15)+ ions at the expense of the C6(OCH3) group and considerably suppresses the competing processes of forming the [M - OH (OCH3)]+ ions in the alkaloids and the (M - 56)+ ions in the anhydroxy bases. When the above-mentioned grouping is absent, the (M - 15)+ ions are formed mainly by the splitting out of a ĊH3 from a N-ethyl group.