Chinese Journal of Physiology

Chinese Journal of Physiology, 1929, Vol. III, No. 1. pp. 69—74,

THE ALKALOIDS OF CORYDALIS AMBIGUA, CHAM ET SCH. (YEN-HU-SO) PART II. CORYDALIS F, G AND H.

TSAN-QUO CHOU (From the Department of Pharmacology, Peking Union Medical College, Peping) Received for publication October 28, 1928

In a previous communication on Chinese Corydalis (Yen-hu-so) (1), the writer reported the isolation of five alkaloids from a non-phenolic fraction “2”. They are provisionally named Corydalis A, Corydalis B, Corydalis C, Corydalis D, and Corydalis E, respectively. Corydalis A is identical with Corydaline in all respects and the other four are new. A preliminary examination of the physiological effects of Corydalis B by H.P. Chu (1) showed that it has narcotic and local anaesthetic properties and a cardiac augmentor action. The Corydalis B, used in Chu’s experiments, was in the form of the hydrochloride which is only slightly soluble in cold water and causes some inconvenience in its administration. The preparation of other salts of Corydalis B was therefore attempted. It is now found that its neutral sulphate, crystallizing out from alcohol in six-sided prisms, is easily soluble in water, giving rise to a neutral solution, and consequently is more suitable for therapeutic use. The alkaloids, present in the other three fractions 1,5 and 4, have now been studied and 3 of them isolated in their pure state. Fraction 1, which is obtained by simply extracting the crude drug with benzene, consists of Corydalis A (Corydaline) and Corydalis D as its chief constituents. Fraction 3 which is phenolic and soluble in caustic alkalies, gives rise to two new phenolic bases, Corydalis F and Corydalis G, both of them having the same melting point but differing from each other in their optical activity, crystalline form and colour reactions. Corydalis F crystallises out from a mixture of chloroform and alcohol in the form of rhomboid crystals, melting at 287°C and has a specific rotation -250°.

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