The cellular effects of three alkaloids isolated from Strychnos usambarensis (melinonine F, strychnofoline, 18-19-dihydro-usambarine) are analysed by cytological methods in experimental animal tumours cultivated in vitro (B 16 mouse melanoma cells, mouse Ehrlich tumour cells ELT, HW 165 rat hepatoma). Under some experimental conditions, a certain degree of antimitotic activity is demonstrated.

The structure and the stereochemistry of afrocurarine (a new unsymmetrical bisindole alkaloid) previously isolated from S. USAMBARENSIS Gilg. are established especially from (1)H-NMR spectroscopic data. The separation of quaternary alkaloids has always been very tedious. Ion-pair reversed-phase column chromatography applied to the purification of afrocurarine is proved very useful and seems to be a suitable technique in quaternary alkaloid research.

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Strychnoxanthine, an anhydronium base, was isolated from root barks of STRYCHNOS GOSSWEILERI, a few years ago. The structure of this new indole alkaloid is now established by spectral analysis, especially by (1)H NMR at 360 MHz.