Quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids from Stephania cepharantha.

From the quaternary alkaloidal fraction of the dried tubers of Stephania cepharantha, two new isoquinoline alkaloids, stecepharine and tetradehydroreticuline have been isolated along with the known compounds, magnoflorine, menisperine, steponine, cyclanoline, oblongine, cis-N-methylcapaurine and 2'-N-methylisotetrandrine. cis-N-Methylcapaurine (=9-O-methylstecepharine) was isolated as a natural product for the first time. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence.

Bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids from Stephania cepharantha and their effects on proliferation of cultured cells from the murine hair apparatus.

Bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids were isolated from Stephania cepharantha Hayata and their proliferative activities on cultured hair cells from the murine skin were evaluated. Cepharanthine (1), cepharanoline (9), isotetrandrine (2), and berbamine (7) showed significant activities in the range of 0.01-0.

Norreticuline and reticuline as possible new agents for hair growth acceleration.

(S)-Norreticuline and (S)-reticuline have been shown to stimulate the proliferation of cultured cells from the murine hair apparatus significantly. Furthermore, these activities were found on cultured hair cells, but not on cultured keratinocytes or fibroblasts from murine skin. In addition, (S)-norreticuline significantly stimulated mouse hair regrowth.

Jasamplexosides A, B and C: Novel Dimeric and Trimeric Secoiridoid Glucosides from Jasminum amplexicaule.

Three new secoiridoid glucosides, jasamplexosides A, B and C, were isolated from the crude drug "Niu du teng", the leaves and stems of JASMINUM AMPLEXICAULE, together with the known secoiridoid glucosides, 10-hydroxyligstroside and jasminoside. Their structural elucidation by spectroscopic studies is described.