Isolation And Structure Elucidation Of Alkaloids From Dactylicapnos Scandens (D.Don) Hutch.

The genus Dactylicapnos Wall.(Papaveraceae) consists of approximately 7 species,about 4 species of which are widely distributed over Himalayan region and the west of China.Some members in this genus are used as traditional folk medicines against inflammation,pain,blooding,and hypertension.Previous research work revealed that the genus Dactylicapnos were rich in isoquinoline alkaloids.Dactylicapnos scandens Hutch.is a kind of perennial herbaceous lianas growing in Guangxi,Yunnan,and Tibet,China.Its dried roots are used as folk medicines to treat toothache,headache,and stomachache.In previous phytochemical investigations on the dried roots of D.scandens,some aporphinoid and protopine alkaloids were isolated and identified.Preliminary pharmacological studies showed that the total alkaloids from D.scandens. possessed analgesic activity..Although a limited number of alkaloids were isolated,the chemical constituents and their bioactivities from D.scandens haven't been studied systematically.An examination of the CHCl₃ fraction from the roots of Dactylicapnos scandens Hutch.by our group yielded eight compounds,including seven aporphinoid alkaloids and one protopine alkaloid,which were identified as d-isocorydine(1), protopine(2),d-magnoflorine(3),d-isocorydine-β-N-oxide(4), d-corydine-α-N-oxide(5),d-corydine-β-N-oxide(6), 6S,6aS-N-methyllaurotetanine-α-N-oxide(7),and 6R,6aS-N-methyllaurotetanine-β-N-oxide(8) by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 4-8 were isolated from this species and the genus Dactylicapnos for the first time. In the end,a review on the progress in the chemistry and biological activities of the genus Dactylicapnos is presented.