• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.123-128
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• 2003

Stephania hernandifolia belonging to the family Menispermaceae is the biggest storehouse of diphenylbisbenzylisoquinoline (DBBI) alkaloids. Exhaustive chemical processing of the bulb of S. hernandifolia by the application of modern separation techniques yielded a DBBI alkaloid which was identified as cycleanine using spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, $^1HNMR$. $^{13}CNMR$, Mass). Cycleanine showed significant anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenin induced paw oedema, comparable to that produced by diclofenac sodium, used as standard drug. It exhibited potent analgesic effects against chemical and thermal noxious stimuli. It was also found to possess anticonvulsive activity in the strychnine induced convulsion model.