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A water extract of the Oriental crude drug "reishi", the fruit bodies of GANODERMA LUCIDUM, significantly decreased plasma sugar level in mice. Fractionation of the extract by monitoring the hypoglycemic activity afforded two glycans, ganoderans A and B. These glycans elicited remarkable hypoglycemic actions in normal and alloxan-induced hyperglycemic mice.

The study of Aconitum carmichaeli roots from China led to the isolation of ten alkaloids. Four of them have been identified as hypaconitine, aconitine, mesaconitine and talatizamine, which are known constituents of this plant. Among the remaining six alkaloids, three have been identified as isotalatizidine (1), karacoline (2) and monoacetyltalatizamine (3), which have been isolated from other Aconitum species. The stereostructures of the three new alkaloids, which have been designated as senbusine A, B and C, have been deduced as those represented by formulas, 4, 5 and 6, respectively, on the basis of chemical and physico-chemical evidence.