STUDIES ON THE ALKALOIDS OF Stephania SPECIES——Ⅰ. Isolation and identification of alkaloids from stephnia epigeae

Four alkaloids were isolated from the root of Stephania epigeae H. S. Lo (Menispermaceae) and identified as cycleanine (Ⅰ), cepharanthine (Ⅱ), 1-curine (Ⅲ), and isocorydine(Ⅳ), respectively by chemical studies and spectral analysis.This is the first time that 1-curine was fonnd in the stephania plants.Cepharanthine possesses preventive and curative effect on leucopenia induced by Xray or chemical substances, it holds promise as a radioprotective agent. It is shown also that the dimethiodides of (Ⅰ), (Ⅲ) were muscle relaxants. The potency of (Ⅲ)is similar to that of d-tubocuraine, whereas 0, 0-dimethylcurine methiodide is three times more potent than the parent dimethiodide. (Ⅰ) also has curative effect on experimental silicosis in rats.