Isolation of Alkaloidal Constituents of Zanthoxylum usambarense and Zanthoxylum chalybeum Using Ion-Pair HPLC

Quaternary alkaloids of two Kenyan medicinal plants belonging to the genus Zanthoxylum, Z . usambarense and Z . chalybeum, were examined using ion-pair HPLC. Both plants contained similar alkaloids, but colored protoberberines were found only in Z . chalybeum . From the stems of Z . usambarense a new alkaloid named usambanoline ( 1 ) was isolated and characterized.