Terihanine from Zanthoxylum nitidum

A phenolic quaternary 2,3,8,9-tetraoxygenated benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid, terihanine (3), was isolated by preparative paper chromatography (PPc) from the root bark of Zanthoxylum nitidum. From the phenolic tertiary base fraction of the stem bark, decarine (4), arnottianamide (5), toddaquinoline (6) and 6-carboxymethyl dihydrochelerythrine (7) were obtained. The presence of four quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids, terihanine (3), chelerythrine (8), avicine (9) and nitidine (10), in both the root bark and the stem bark was proved by preparative paper chromatography and TLC, but there was only trace amounts of terihanine (3) present in the stem bark.