The alkaloidal constituents of two types of "pao-fuzi ( ?? ?? ?? )", the processed tuber of Aconitum carmichaeli DEBX., were investigated. Aconitine (1), hypaconitine (2), mesaconitine (3), talatizamine (5), 14-acetyltalatizamine (6), isotalatizidine (7), karakoline (8), neoline (9), lipoaconitine (10), lipohypaconitine (11), lipomesaconitine (12), and lipodeoxyaconitine (13) were identified from"banshu-fuzi ( ?? ?? ?? ?? )", while benzoylaconine (1a), benzoylhypaconine (2a), and benzoylmesaconine (3a) together with 1-3, 5-9 were identified from"fupian ( ?? ?? )". By use of a dual-wavelength thin layer chromatography scanner, lipo-alkaloids (10-13) were shown to be distributed as major alkaloids in thirteen out of fifteen kinds of "fuzi"and wutou". It was also found that these lipo-alkaloids were less toxic as compared with the corresponding fatally toxic alkaloids such as 1 and 3. However, lipomesaconitine (12) was found to exhibit antiinflammatory and analgesic activities. It was suggested that the substitutions of the acetyl residues attached to the C-8 hydroxyls of 1-4 for the fatty acid residues were the other possible chemical modifications in the decrease of toxicities of Aconiti Tuber.
