Cytotoxic Benzophenanthridine and Furoquinoline Alkaloids from Zanthoxylum buesgenii(Rutaceae)

Cytotoxic Benzophenanthridine and Furoquinoline Alkaloids from Zanthoxylum buesgenii (Rutaceae)

BACKGROUND Zanthoxylum buesgenii is a shrub used in Sierra Leone as remedy to cure venereal diseases, arthritis, and rheumatism whereas leaves and barks are employed to treat leprosy and to relieve pain. In South West Region of Cameroon, the plant locally called "Mbem" by Lewoh-Lebang community, is orally given to patients as aphrodisiac decoction and to increase sperm count. Previous chemical ...

Cytotoxic benzophenanthridine and benzylisoquinoline alkaloids from Argemone mexicana.

Fractionation of the chloroform extract from the aerial part of Argemone mexicana led to the isolation of two benzophenanthridine-type alkaloids, N-demethyloxysanguinarine and pancorine; three benzylisoquinoline-type alkaloids, (+)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-(2-hydroxymethyl-3,4-dimethoxyphenylmethyl)-6,7-methylenedioxyisoquinoline, (+)-higenamine and (+)-reticuline. Among them, N-demethyloxysanguina...

Structure-Activity Relationship of Benzophenanthridine Alkaloids from Zanthoxylum rhoifolium Having Antimicrobial Activity

Zanthoxylum rhoifolium (Rutaceae) is a plant alkaloid that grows in South America and has been used in Brazilian traditional medicine for the treatment of different health problems. The present study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the steam bark crude methanol extract, fractions, and pure alkaloids of Z. rhoifolium. Its stem bark extracts exhibited a broad spectrum of an...

Benzophenanthridine and Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids from Argemone

The formation of benzophenanthridine alkaloids

Isoquinoline alkaloids are a major group of pharmacologically important compounds. The universal precursor to the majority of this alkaloid class is (S)-reticuline. The biosynthesis of this important intermediate starting from the primary metabolite, Ltyrosine, has been completely solved at the enzyme level. One of the most diverse structures in the class of isoquinoline alkaloids are the benzo...