Abstract
Cyrtanthus breviflorus Harv. is a highly variable bulbous taxon from both moist and dry grasslands of the eastern seaboard region of southern Africa. Amongst at least 42 ethnomedicinal regional amaryllids it is the only species reported to treat intestinal worms. The current investigation, the first to phytochemically profile C. breviflorus, has determined the presence in ethanolic bulb extracts of the four known isoquinoline alkaloids: haemanthamine, crinamine hydrochloride, lycorine and tazettine. From the hexane bulb extract five known lupane triterpenoids were isolated: lupeol, lupenone, glochidone, 3β, 27-dihydroxylup-20(29)-ene and betulinaldehyde. Copyright © NISC Pty Ltd.