Quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids from Stephania cepharantha.

From the quaternary alkaloidal fraction of the dried tubers of Stephania cepharantha, two new isoquinoline alkaloids, stecepharine and tetradehydroreticuline have been isolated along with the known compounds, magnoflorine, menisperine, steponine, cyclanoline, oblongine, cis-N-methylcapaurine and 2'-N-methylisotetrandrine. cis-N-Methylcapaurine (=9-O-methylstecepharine) was isolated as a natural product for the first time. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence.