Gynura divaricata DC. (Syn. G. ovalis DC., G. pseudo-china DC., Senecio divarigata L) belonging to the Compositae, tribe Senecioneae, is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, in China called "Bai Bei Shan Qi" (1, 2). Portions of 10—15 g of the dried whole plant are used after boiling in water or soaking in wine and taken internally in cases of bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, pertussis, sore eye, toothache, rheumatic arthralgia, and uterine bleeding while the macerated fresh herb is used externally for traumatic injury, fracture, wound bleeding, mastitis, boils, pyodermas, leg ulcer, burns and scald for topical application (1, 2). This plant is slightly toxic (2). Thus, a phytochemical investigation of G. divaricata regarding its PAs content was carried out in order to estimate profits and risks of its medical use. The herb G. divaricata was collected during its flowering period in Hong Kong by A. E. in 1990; a voucher specimen, No. 295, is deposited in the Pharmaceutical Institute in Bonn. The air-dried and pulverised aerial parts (630 g) of G. divaricata were extracted with MeOH in a Soxhlet apparatus. Further purification was carried out as described before (3, 4) and yielded 650 mg of alkaloidal extract. Repeated preparative TLC (silica gel F254, CH2CI2 : MeOH : NH3, 85: 14: 1) of the basic extract yielded 100 mg (166.7 ppm) of alkaloid 1, and 17 mg (28.3 ppm) of alkaloid 2. The two alkaloids were identified through their spectral data (opt. rot., IR, mass-, 2D-1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy and the latter by COSY and DEPT methods). The total content of the alkaloids is high; neither the drug nor preparations thereof should be administered because the alkaloids are toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic (5—7).