6-Methoxydihydrosanguinarine may have anti-inflammatory effects via the inhibition of NO and IL-6 expression through the down-regulation of MAP kinase (ERK1/2, p38) phosphorylation in RAW 264.7 cells. It has antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from1.9 to 3.9 microg/ml. 6-Methoxydihydrosanguinarine shows a dose-dependent effect at 1-10 microM on causing apoptotic cell death in HT29 colon carcinoma cells (IC50 = 5.0+/-0.2 microM). It also shows strong nematocidal activities, however, it is highly cytotoxic; thus, the prospect of its direct application is low.