Groenlandicine has bitter, and also has antibacterial activity on E. coli and S. aureus, there was close relationship between the bitter degree and antibacterial activity of bitter components. Groenlandicine may be a promising anti-Alzheimer's disease agent due to its potent inhibitory activity of both ChEs and beta-amyloids formation, as well as marked ONOO(-) scavenging and good ROS inhibitory capacities. Groenlandicine exhibits moderate inhibitory effects with the IC(50) value of 140.1 microM for rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR) and 154.2 microM for human recombinant AR (HRAR), it has beneficial uses in the development of therapeutic and preventive agents for diabetic complications and diabetes mellitus. Groenlandicine is a active principle with topoisomerase I-mediated DNA cleavage activity in vitro.