[The Hemovigilance Commission of the University Hospital Center]. / La commission d'hémovigilance du CHU.

As suggested by the National Blood Council, a Hemovigilance Committee was set up in the University Hospital of Liège in 1995. A multidisciplinary discussion takes place on any action aiming at the improvement of transfusion safety, and the follow-up of its implementation. The first issue to be discussed was the set up of a detailed documentation of all blood transfusions. The data are now recorded on a single document allowing proper identification of people and products involved, and of the eventual incidents. This document has lead to a better transfusion safety and to an improved administrative management of blood transfusion. The Commission has been coordinating two multi-centric studies analyzing the consumption of fresh blood products and the incidence of transfusion reactions. Among blood-saving policies, autologous transfusion and volume reduction of samples drawn for laboratory purposes have been discussed. Other measures were taken to improve the labeling of samples for cross-mach and to actively follow-up transfusion reactions. By its actions and advises, the Commission aims to direct strategies towards a safe and rational use of blood products.

The isolation and structure elucidation of Afrocurarine.

The structure and the stereochemistry of afrocurarine (a new unsymmetrical bisindole alkaloid) previously isolated from S. USAMBARENSIS Gilg. are established especially from (1)H-NMR spectroscopic data. The separation of quaternary alkaloids has always been very tedious. Ion-pair reversed-phase column chromatography applied to the purification of afrocurarine is proved very useful and seems to be a suitable technique in quaternary alkaloid research.

The isolation of Nb-methyl-antirhine, malindine and isomalindine from Strychnos usambarensis.

Three quaternary alkaloids have been isolated from root barks of STRYCHNOS USAMBARENSIS Gilg from Rwanda: malindine, isomalindine and Nb-methyl-antirhine. The structure elucidation and the stereochemistry of the new isomalindine has been proposed based on its spectral data and their comparison with those of malindine, its isomer.

Strychnoxanthine, a monoterpene alkaloid of a novel skeletal type from Strychnos gossweileri.

Strychnoxanthine, an anhydronium base, was isolated from root barks of STRYCHNOS GOSSWEILERI, a few years ago. The structure of this new indole alkaloid is now established by spectral analysis, especially by (1)H NMR at 360 MHz.

[About major alkaloids of Strychnos scheffleri from Zaire]. / Les alcaloïdes majoritaires du Strychnos scheffleri du Zaire.

Leaves and stem barks of S. scheffleri Gilg afforded eight dihydroindole alkaloids. Four tertiary monomers (O-methyl Na-acetylstrychnosplendine, Na-acetylstrychnosplendine, strychnobrasiline and strychnofendlerine) have been isolated from leaf material while stem barks yielded one tertiary monomer (desacetylisoretuline), one tertiary symmetrical dimer (bis-nordihydrotoxiferine) and two quaternary monomers (mavacurine and fluorocurine).