The alkaloids of leaves of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. were examined using combined GLC-MS. The occurrence of four new alkaloids, dehydroroemerine (XII), dehydronuciferine (XI), dehydroanonaine (XIII) and N-methylisococlaurine (III) were revealed, besides the known roemerine (V), nuciferine (VI), anonaine (VII), pronuciferine (IV), N-nornuciferine (VIII), nornuciferine (IX), amepavine (I) and N-methylcoclaurine (II).

Based on the structure of their nuclei, the Nelumbo nucifera alkaloids can be divided into three categories: single benzylisoquinolines, aporphines and dehydrogenated aporphines. The aporphine class includes nuciferine [6], N-nornuciferine [7], O-nornuciferine [7], liriodenine [8], roemerine [9], N-norarmepavine [10] and
2-hydroxy-1-methoxyaporphine [9].

You want the flowers, not the leaves.

Lotus leaves, dry leaves of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., were cultured in both north and south of China. It was reported in traditional Chinese medicine that lotus leaves had the efficacies of losing weight, reducing fat and decreasing hypertension, etc. In modern research, scientists found that lotus leaves had the activities of stop bleeding, decreasing blood pressure, reducing weight and resisting arrhythmia and so on. The compositions in it include alkaloids, flavonoids, organics acid and tannins, etc. Alkaloids are known of the main bioactive ingredients in it...

Extraction: Extraction of the total alkaloids was performed by ion-exchange resin, the best conditions were decocting ground lotus leaves with 0.1% HCl solution at the ratio of 20:1 at 90℃. The leaves were extracted twice for duration of 2h each time. The content of total alkaloids was 2.12%.