OBJECTIVETo investigate the alkaloids in the roots of Dactylicapnos scanden (D. Don) Hutch.

METHODThe compounds were isolated by various column chromatographic methods. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis.

RESULTEight compounds were isolated and identified as d-isocorydine (1), protopine (2), d-magnoflorine (3), d-isocorydine-beta-N-oxide (4), d-corydine-alpha-N-oxide (5), d-corydine-beta-N-oxide (6), 6S, 6aS-N-methyllaurotetanine-alpha-N-oxide (7), and 6R, 6aS-N-methyllaurotetanine-beta-N-oxide (8).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 4-8 were isolated from this species and the genus Dactylicapnos for the first time.

Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Fumariaceae ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study morpho-anatomical characters and physicochemical analysis of Fumaria indica (F. indica) (Hausskn.) Pugsley, (Fumariaceae), an important medicinal plant used extensively for treating a variety of ailments in various system of indigenous medicine.

METHODSEvaluation of the different parts of the plant was carried out to determine the morpho-anatomical, physicochemical, phytochemical and HPTLC fingerprinting profile of F. indica and other WHO recommended methods were performed for standardization.

RESULTSMorpho-anatomical studies showed compound and pinnatifid leaf, 4 to 6 cm in length, linear and oblong in shape and anomocytic arrangement of stomata, thin walled parenchymatous cells, scattered, sclerenchymatous, capped vascular bundles and radiating medullary rays. Physicochemical studies showed foreign matter 0.2%, loss on drying 6.8%, total ash 16.77%, alcohol and water soluble extractives 8.92% and 20.26%, respectively, sugar 17.75%, starch 22.97% and tannins 2.37%. Phytochemical evaluation revealed the presence of carbohydrate, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and sterol. Thin layer chromatography was carried out with different solvents and the best solvent system was chloroform and methanol in 80:20 ratio and revealed 12 spots with different Rf value under UV light 366λ.

CONCLUSIONSThe results of the study can serve as a valuable source of information and provide suitable standards for identification of this plant material for future investigations and applications.

Fumaria ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; cytology ; Phenotype ; Phytochemicals ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; cytology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; cytology ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; cytology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: DA-9701 (Motilitone) is a new prokinetic agent formulated with Corydalis Tuber and Pharbitis Seed. We assessed the efficacy of DA-9701 in symptomatic patients with minimal change esophagitis. METHODS: Patients with minimal change esophagitis presenting with reflux or dyspeptic symptoms were randomly assigned to receive either DA-9701 30 mg or placebo t.i.d. (means 3 times a day). After 4 weeks of treatment, the primary efficacy end point determined by changes of the Nepean dyspepsia index questionnaire-Korean version (NDI-K) symptom scores, was analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-two and 39 patients were assigned to the treatment and control groups, respectively. After 4 weeks, NDI-K symptom scores were reduced from 35.4 to 13.5 (P < 0.001) and from 43.0 to 27.7 (P < 0.001) in the treatment and the control groups, respectively. However, changes in the symptom scores did not differ between the 2 groups (P = 0.741). Although the quality of life scores were significantly improved after 4 weeks in both groups, changes in the quality of life score between the baseline value and that at 4 weeks did not differ between the 2 groups. The reflux symptom score was significantly improved in the treatment group compared to the placebo group in patients aged 65 years or older (P = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Although NDI-K symptom scores and quality of life scores were improved after 4 weeks of treatment compared with baseline values in patients with minimal change esophagitis, DA-9701 did not improve the symptom scores or quality of life scores compared with the placebo.
Corydalis* ; Dyspepsia ; Esophagitis* ; Humans ; Quality of Life

N-Methylhydrasteine hydroxylactam and 1-methoxyberberine chloride, both alkaloids, extracted from Corydalis longipes have been assayed for their activities against two powdery mildews. The spore germination of Erysiphe cichoracearum on detached leaf of balsam(Impatiens balsaminia) following pre- and post-inoculation treatments by their mixture has shown high efficacy against the pathogen at 100, 200 and 300 microg/ml. The mixture was also effective at both pre- and post-inoculation treatments at 500, 1000, 1500 microg/ml doses against E. pisi causing pea powdery mildew in pea(Pisum sativum) under field conditions. The significant efficacy of the mixture of two compounds against spore germination on detached leaves of balsam and also under field conditions in pea warrants its inclusion in trials against some other diseases under field conditions.
Alkaloids* ; Corydalis* ; Germination ; Peas* ; Plants* ; Spores

A methanolic extract of Corydalis ternata having aldose reductase inhibitory activity was examined as a possible aldose reductase (ALR2) inhibitor, a key enzyme involved in diabetic complications. Seven alkaloids, tetrahydrocoptisine (1), corydaline (2), tetrahydropalmatine (3), isocorybulbine (4), corybulbine (5), dehydrocorydaline (6), and N-methyltetrahydroberbinium (7) were isolated from CHCl₃ fraction of C. ternata methanol extract. Among them, compounds 1, 5, and 7 exhibited 5.04 ± 1.97%, 5.00 ± 1.26%, and 1.80 ± 2.33% inhibitions, respectively at 40 µM. The activities of the single compounds were not comparable to that of the whole extract, suggesting that the whole combination of each single compound was responsible for the activity of the extract as shown in many cases of natural medicines. Even though this is the second report on aldose reductase inhibition activity of C. ternata, recombinant human aldose reductase was employed in this study unlike in the previous report. Furthermore, the aldose reductase inhibitory activities of isocorybulbine, corybulbine, and N-methyltetrahydroberbinium, to the best of our knowledge, were evaluated for the first time in this study. These results suggest a use of the extract of C. ternata for ameliorating diabetic complications.
Aldehyde Reductase* ; Alkaloids* ; Corydalis* ; Diabetes Complications ; Humans ; Methanol

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Therapies of functional dyspepsia (FD) are limited. DA-9701 is a novel prokinetic agent formulated with Pharbitis semen and Corydalis Tuber. We aimed to assess the efficacy of DA-9701 compared with itopride in FD patients. METHODS: Patients with FD randomly received either itopride 50 mg or DA-9701 30 mg t.i.d after a 2-week baseline period. After 4 weeks of treatment, 2 primary efficacy endpoints were analyzed: the change from baseline in composite score of the 8 dyspeptic symptoms and the overall treatment effect. Impact on patients' quality of life was assessed using the Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) questionnaire. RESULTS: We randomly assigned 464 patients with 455 having outcome data. The difference of the composite score change of the 8 symptoms between the 2 groups was 0.62, indicating that DA-9701 was not inferior to itopride. The overall treatment effect response rate was not different between the groups. When responder was defined as > or = 5 of the 7 Likert scale, responder rates were 37% of DA-9701 and 36% of itopride group. Patients receiving DA-9701 experienced similar mean percentage of days with adequate relief during the 4-week treatment period compared with those receiving itopride (56.8% vs 59.1%). Both drugs increased the NDI score of 5 domains without any difference in change of the NDI score between the groups. The safety profile of both drugs was comparable. CONCLUSIONS: DA-9701 significantly improves symptoms in patients with FD. DA-9701 showed non-inferior efficacy to itopride with comparable safety.
Corydalis ; Dyspepsia* ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Semen

Narceine methyl ester and narceine are potent alkaloids which were isolated from Corydalis longipes were found effective in vitro at very low concentration, i.e., 100~500 ppm against spore germination of some test plant pathogenic fungi (Alternaria solani, A. tagetica, Cercospora abelmoschi, Curvularia maculans, Erysiphe cichoracearum, E. pisi, Fusarium udum, Helminthosporium oryzae, H. penniseti, Ustilago cynodontis). Among the test, phytopathogens the spores of F. udum, C. maculans and H. penniseti were highly sensitive at 200 ppm. However, spores of E. pisi, A. solani and A. tagetica were less sensitive at low concentration followed by other test fungi. Most of the fungi showed zero or nearly zero percent spore germination at 400 and 500 ppm.
Alkaloids ; Corydalis* ; Fungi* ; Fusarium ; Germination ; Helminthosporium ; Oryza ; Plants ; Spores ; Ustilago

Chaerophylline and berberine hydroxide, both being alkaloids, isolated from Corydalis chaerophylla and C. longipes respectively were assayed against spore germination of some fungi, e.g. Alternaria solani, A. brassicola, A. brassicicola, Helminthosporium penniseti, Helminthosporium sp., Heterosporium sp., Curvularia penniseti, C. maculens and C. palliscens. While chaerophylline inhibited spore germination of most of the fungi at 1000 ppm, being also effective at 50, 100, 200 and 500 ppm, berberine hydroxide was significantly effective at much lower concentration, i.e., 400 ppm against several fungi. This compound was also effective against some fungi at 50, 100, 150, 200 ppm. There was 100% inhibition of spore germination in several fungi at highest concentration of both the compounds. Some of the fungi showed similar results even at lower concentrations.
Alkaloids ; Alternaria ; Berberine* ; Corydalis* ; Fungi ; Germination ; Helminthosporium ; Spores

1-Corydalmine,an alkaloid isolated from roots of Corydalis chaerophylla inhibited spore germination of some plant pathogenic as well as saprophytic fungi e.g. Alternaria brassicae, A. brassicicola, A. solani, Curvularia lunata, C. maculans, C. sp., C. pallscens, Erysiphe pisi, Fusarium udum, Helminthosporium species,H. penniseti and a Heterosporium species. 1-Corydalmine significantly inhibited spore germination of all the fungi at 100 to 1500 ppm. It was effective against all the fungi at 1500 ppm. C. lunata was highly sensitive to this chemical even at 250 ppm.
Alternaria ; Brassica ; Corydalis* ; Fungi* ; Fusarium ; Germination* ; Helminthosporium ; Plants ; Spores*

Ten phenylpropanoid amides were isolated from the whole plants of Corydalis edulis Maxim. by various of column chromatographies including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and ODS. Their structures were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, MS, NMR, and IR spectroscopic data. These compounds were identified as N-trans-sinapoyl-3-methoxytyramine-4'-O-β-glucoside(1), N-trans-sinapoyl-3-methoxytyramine(2), N-trans-sinapoyltyramine(3), N-trans-p-coumaroyltyramine(4), N-trans-sinapoyl-7-hydroxytyramine(5), N-cis-feruloyltyramine(6), N-cis-p-coumaroyltyramine(7), N-trans-feruloyltyramine(8), N-trans-feruloyl-3-methoxytyramine(9), and N-trans-feruloyl-7-hydroxytyramine(10). Compound 1 is a new compound. Compounds 2-7 are obtained from the plants of Papaveraceae for the first time, while compounds 8-10 are firstly isolated from C. edulis.
Amides ; analysis ; Corydalis ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; analysis ; Phytochemicals ; analysis ; Tyramine ; analysis