Two new benzo phenanthridine isoquinoline alkaloids from Macleaya cordata

AIM: To study the chemical constituents of Macleaya cordata (Willd.) R. Br. METHODS: Crude 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. RESULTS: Two new benzophenanthridine isoquinoline alkaloids, 6-iso-butanonyldihydrosanguinarine (1) and 6-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. CONCLUSION: Benzophenanthridine isoquinoline alkaloids are featured in M. cordata. Compounds 1 and 2 are new ones.