[Two new protoberberine alkaloids from Stephania hernandifolia].

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Pharmacognosy

Context:

• Stephania hernandifolia is a plant with potential medicinal properties.
• Alkaloids are a diverse class of natural products known for their biological activities.
• Investigating the chemical constituents of medicinal plants is crucial for drug discovery.

Purpose:

• To isolate and identify chemical compounds from the ethanol extract of Stephania hernandifolia.
• To characterize the isolated compounds, including novel alkaloids.
• To evaluate the inhibitory potential of isolated compounds against α-glucosidase.

Summary:

• Four alkaloids were isolated and identified from Stephania hernandifolia using various chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques.
• Two new protoberberine alkaloids (compounds 1 and 2) and two amide alkaloids (compounds 3 and 4) were characterized.
• Compounds 1, 3, and 4 were tested for their inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase.
• Compounds 3 (N-trans-feruloyl tyramine) and 4 (N-cis-feruloyl tyramine) exhibited significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 7.09 ± 0.42 μmol·L−1 and 31.25 ± 1.14 μmol·L−1, respectively.

Impact:

• This study reports the first isolation of these four alkaloids from Stephania hernandifolia.
• The identification of novel protoberberine alkaloids expands the known chemical diversity of this plant genus.
• The observed α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of compounds 3 and 4 suggests their potential as therapeutic agents for managing hyperglycemia.