The roots of Cyclea peltata Diels from Madras yielded d-tetrandrine, dl-tetrandrine, d-isochondrodendrine, and fangchinoline. Preliminary pharmacological study of the petroleum ether-extractable alkaloids, of the methanol-extractable alkaloids, and of the methiodides prepared from the latter mixtures showed that all produce activity similar to that seen with d-tubocurarine.
YCLEA PELTATA Diels is a menispermaceous C plant used in India against "colicky pains in the stomach, fevers, vomiting, skin conditions, diarrhea, cardiac pains, burning feeling, pruritus, poisons, breathing difficulties, worms, colicks, internal tumors (?), 'gulma' colicks, in poisons taken internally ('gara'), and ulcers" (1). The drug has also been used in setting fractures and as an internal remedy in inflamed piles (1).
hydrochloric acid solution. Each extract was processed for alkaloid content by the procedure summarized in Fig. 1, whereby a 2.0 per cent total yield of crude alkaloids was obtained. The crude fractions obtained were either crystallized directly or subjected to chromatography, whereby separation into crystallizable fractions was efeffected. The isolation procedure afforded d- tetrandrine as the principal isolable alkaloidal OCHs CHa An earlier examination revealed the presence in constituent (0.4 per cent) nnd d-isochondro-C. peltutu Diels of alkaloids (0.51 per cent), fixed dendrine (0.045 per cent), fangchinoline (0.025 oils (8.0 per cent), quercitol, and traces of a per cent), and dl-tetrandrine (0.008 per cent) as coloring matter (1). The present report de-lesser isolable constituents. Preliminary pharscribes a preliminary study of the alkaloids ex-macological study of the petroleum ether-extracted from air-dried roots of C. peltutu Diels tractable alkaloids (fraction A), of the methanolfrom Madras.
extractable alkaloids (fraction B), and of the Coarsely ground plant was extracted succes-methiodides prepared from the latter mixtures sively with petroleum ether, methanol, 1.5 per showed that all produce activity similar to that cent triethylamine in methanol, and 1.5 per cent seen with d-tubocurarine.1 d-Tetrandrine (TI) and d-isochondrodendrine (111) were characterized direct comparison