Advances in indole alkaloids from traditional Chinese medicine of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia / 中国中药杂志

ABSTRACT

Uncaria genus( Rubiaceae) contains 34 species all over the world,of which 11 species and one variant are present in China. Five species,namely U. rhynchophylla,U. macrophylla,U. hirsuta,U. sinensis and U. sessilifructus,are documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia as the raw materials of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis. Indole alkaloids are the characteristic constituents of Uncaria plants,in addition to triterpenes,lignans and flavones. This paper reviews the progress of indole alkaloids and their distribution within the five Uncaria species documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia for better understanding the active constituents of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis.