Chelidonine, also named ranunculine, is a kind of alkaloid isolated from the whole
plant of Chelidonium majus. L . As a kind of traditional Chinese medicine,
Chelidonium majus. L was firstly recorded in Chiu Huang Pen Ts’ao of Ming
dynasty. In the seventeenth century, it has been used for the treatment of jaundice,
biliary colic, and cholelithiasis. In 1941, a researcher from Soviet Union reported
that it showed good effect for the treatment of cutaneous tuberculosis. This plant has
multiple effects on different diseases, including anti-inflammatory, analgesia,
relieving cough, inducing diuresis, anticancer, antifungal, relieving asthma, and
detoxification. It was recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of
China (1977) .
The material basis for Chelidonium majus. L is alkaloid. Among which, chelidonine,
a benzophenanthridine alkaloid, is the main effective ingredient . Although
great progresses have been made in the chemical synthesis of chelidonine recently,
the biosynthetic pathways of chelidonine remain unclear, which still need in-depth
study and exploration in the future
