ANTITUBERCULAR NATURAL-PRODUCTS - BERBERINE FROM THE ROOTS OF COMMERCIAL HYDRASTIS-CANADENSIS POWDER - ISOLATION OF INACTIVE 8-OXOTETRAHYDROTHALIFENDINE, CANADINE, BETA-HYDRASTINE, AND 2 NEW QUINIC ACID-ESTERS, HYCANDINIC ACID ESTER-1 AND HYCANDINIC ACID ESTER-2

Berberine (4) is responsible for the activity of an extract of a comme rcial root sample of Hydrastis canadensis against multiply drug resist ant Mycobacteriun tuberculosis. Two new quinic acid feruloyl esters, c ompounds 2 and 3, have been isolated from the same source along with c anadine (1c), 8-oxotetrahydrothalifendine (1), and beta-hydrastine (5) . These were found to be inactive. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated from spectral (H-1, C-13, HMQC, HMBC, and H-H COSY) a nd chemical evidences.