Dihydro-chelerythrine

Dihydro-chelerythrine (DHC) is a benzophenanthridine alkaloid originally isolated from the stem bark of Garcinia. This compound exhibits a wide variety of antimicrobial activities (anti-parasitic, antifungal, and antibacterial) as well as chemotherapeutic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. DHC is active against Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Botrytis, Erysiphe, Candida, and various gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Additionally, DHC induces dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential in leukemia cells, resulting in apoptosis and necrosis. This compound also binds DNA sequences containing contiguous G or C base pairs.