Indole alkaloid

Alstonine has the capacity to distinguish cancer DNA from healthy tissue DNA; it inhibits DNA in vitro synthesis when DNA from different cancerous tissues or cells is used as template. Practically without effects on DNA from healthy tissues.

In mice models Alstonine shows a clear, dose-dependent, potent antipsychotic profile. Alstonine (ip) prevents amphetamine-induced lethality, with active doses within the range of 0.5-2.0 mg/kg.
Alstonine (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg) prevents MK-801 induced hyperlocomotion. Because Alstonine partially reverses MK-801-induced increase in locomotion both at the hole-board and locomotor activity cages.
Alstonine successfully treats a relatively important proportion of BALB/C mice inoculated with transplantable YC8 lymphoma ascites cells as well as Swiss mice bearing Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells.