The main alkaloid in the roots of Thalictrum flavum is berberine. The alkaloids glaucine, thalicsimidine, thaliglucine, thalidazine, hernandezine and thalfoetidine were also isolated.
Thirteen alkaloids, hernandezine, thalidezine, N-desmethylthalidezine, isothalidezine, thalistyline, thalistyline methodiiodide, N-desemethylthalistyline, berberine, columbamine, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, thalifendine, magnoflorine and the artifact, 8-trichloromethyldihydroberberine were isolated