Jian Gum, Arnold Brossi', Xiao-Kang Zhu, Hui-Kang Wang and Kuo-Hsiung Lee' ... Natural Products Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 ... Abstract: An improved, highly selective demethylation of thiocolchicine (1) to the dipheno15 is described. Oxidation of 2 to para-quinone 6 and of 4 and 5 to ortho-quinones 8 and 10 is first reported. Also, 2-demethylthiocolchicine (3) was oxidized to the quinone methide 7.