Chemical analyses of Ukrain, a semi-synthetic Chelidonium majus alkaloid derivative, fail to confirm its trimeric structure

10: Cancer Lett. 2000 Nov 28;160(2):237-41. Chemical analyses of Ukrain, a semi-synthetic Chelidonium majus alkaloid derivative, fail to confirm its trimeric structure. Panzer A, Joubert AM, Eloff JN, Albrecht CF, Erasmus E, Seegers JC. Department of Physiology, University of Pretoria, P.O. Box 2034, 0001, Pretoria, South Africa. Ukrain has been described as a semi-synthetic Chelidonium majus alkaloid derivative, consisting of three chelidonine alkaloids combined to triaziridide. We found the actions of Ukrain to be similar to the Chelidonium alkaloids it is prepared from, and therefore became concerned about its chemical integrity. Chemical analyses of Ukrain by thin layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was inconsistent with the proposed trimeric structure and demonstrated that at least some commercial preparations of Ukrain consist of a mixture of C. majus alkaloids (including chelidonine).