**3.4 Other biological effect**

Besides above mentioned biological activities, the alkaloid from *Zanthoxylum* plants also showed antivirus, cardioprotective, liver protective, antidiabetic, and antimalarial activities. Benzophenanthridine alkaloids, 5,6-dihydro-6-methoxynitidine, skimmianine, and 5-methoxydictamnine from *Z. nitidum* showed significant antiviral activities against hepatitis B virus [29], decarine, γ-fagarine, (+) tembamide from the root bark of *Z. ailanthoides* against HIV with EC50 values < 0.1 μg/ml [86]. Nitidine showed similar *in vitro* activity in CQ-sensitive and resistant strains, and also a satisfying selectivity index (>10) when compared with a non-cancerous cells line. Nitidine can be considered a potential anti-malarial lead compound [87].
