Tacrolimus (anhydrous) is a macrolide lactam containing a 23-membered lactone ring, originally isolated from the fermentation broth of a Japanese soil sample that contained the bacteria Streptomyces tsukubaensis. It has a role as an immunosuppressive agent and a bacterial metabolite. Tacrolimus versus ciclosporin are primary immunosuppression for kidney transplant recipients.

Heraclenin has anticoagulant, and anti-inflammatory activities, it also has mutagenicity in Chlamydomonas reinhardii. Heraclenin can induce apoptosis in Jurkat leukemia cells, it has a strong clastogenic effect . (+)-Heraclenin displays significant levels of antiplasmodial and moderate levels of antimicrobial activities.

Cyclosporin A is a cyclic nonribosomal peptide of eleven amino acids; an immunosuppressant drug widely used in post-allogeneic organ transplant to reduce the activity of the patient's immune system, and therefore the risk of organ rejection. Also causes reversible inhibition of immunocompetent lymphocytes in the G0- and G1-phase of the cell cycle.

Wilfortrine can induce liver cancer cell HepG2 apoptosis, but with no effect on the cell cycle, mainly by promoting Bax expression and inhibiting anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 expression. The combined treatment using wilfortrine and paclitaxel can inhibit proliferation and invasion of liver cancer cells via down-regulating Bcl-2 and up-regulating Bax, with better efficacy than single use of either drug. Wilfortrine and euonine (40.80 mg/(kg.d) x 4d ip) show marked depressant effects on humoral mediated immunity using the hemolysin reaction as indices.