Two new benzo phenanthridine isoquinoline alkaloids from Macleaya cordata

AimTo study the chemical constituents of Macleaya cordata (Willd.) R. Br.MethodsCrude alkaloids were isolated and purified from the fruits with column chromatography of cation exchange, silica gel ad Sephadex LH-20 followed by recrystallization. The structure elucidation was carried out by extensive spectroscopic methods.ResultsTwo new benzophenanthridine isoquinoline alkaloids, 6a-iso-butanonyldihydrosanguinarine (1) and 6a-iso-butanonyldihydrochelerythrine (2), along with other four known alkaloid compounds, 6-acetonyldihydrosanguinarine (3), 6-acetonyldihydrochelerythrine (4), dihydrosanguinarine (5) and dihydrochelerythrine (6) have been isolated from fruits of M. cordata collected in Anhui Province of China.ConclusionBenzophenanthridine isoquinoline alkaloids are featured in M. cordata. Compounds 1 and 2 are new ones.