Planta Med 1985 Oct;(5):419-23

The alkaloids of Uncaria tomentosa and their phagocytosis-stimulating action

[Article in German]

Wagner H, Kreutzkamp B, Jurcic K.

From the roots of Uncaria tomentosa six oxindole alkaloids have been isolated and identified as isopteropodin, pteropodin, mitraphyllin, isomitraphyllin, rynchophyllio and isorynchophyllin. By ion pair chromatography on HPLC a fingerprint analysis has been worked out which allowed to differentiate between various Unicaria-species and drug preparations. With the exception of mitraphyllin and rynchophyllin all alkaloids showed a pronounced enhancement effect on phagocytosis, determined in two in vitro tests and the in vivo-carbon clearance test.