Cytotoxic constituents of the roots of the indonesian medicinal plantFibraurea chloroleuca

Three protoberberine alkaloids, berberine chloride, berberrubine chloride and thalifendine chloride were isolated from the roots of Fibraurea chloroleuca Miers, and found to show significant cytotoxic activity with one or more human cancer cell-lines and cultured P-388 cells. A phytoecdysteroid, 20-hydroxyecdysone, was also isolated as a noncytotoxic compound. Based on comparison with previous investigations, different collections of F. chloroleuca roots appear to exhibit considerable variation in their alkaloidal profiles.