[Advance in studies on pharmacological activity of coptisine hydrochloride]

Coptisine hydrochloride, as a natural protoberberine alkaloid quaternary ammonium salt, can be found in many species of Ranunculaceae and Papaveraceae plants. Despite no in-depth studies on coptisine hydrochloride, some literatures have reported that coptisine hydrochloride has such pharmacological activities as inhibition of monoamine oxidase of type A, selective inhibition and double inhibition against vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, inhibition of differentiation and function of osteoclasts, selective regulation of multidrug-resistant and drug-resistant proteins in vascular smooth muscle cells, anti-fungus, protection of gastric-mucous membrane, cytotoxicity, and myocardial protection. Given to the fact of the lack of systematic review and summary of studies on coptisine hydrochloride, we summarize and analyze the study literatures on the pharmacological activity of coptisine hydrochloride published in recent years, so as to provide information for studies on new drugs of coptisine hydrochloride on the basis of the pharmacological activity.