crebanine and tetrahydropalmatine

Extracts from the tubers of Stephania venosa (Blum) Spreng growing in Vietnam significantly inhibited cell proliferation against a number of cancer cells including HeLa, MDA-MB231 and MCF-7 cells. A bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of four aporphine and one tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids: dehydrocrebanine 1, tetrahydropalmatine 2, stephanine 3, crebanine 4 and O-methylbulbocapnine 5. The characterization of these compounds was based on MS, NMR and published data. A study by structure-bioactivity relationship on these isolates showed that stephanine is the most active compound. Cell biological studies showed that stephanine induces the reverse of mitotic exit, eventually leading to cell death by apoptosis. This data suggests that stephanine has a unique mode of cell-killing activity against cancer cells, which is seldom observed with known synthetic compounds. In addition to its anticancer property, our data from an in vitro study showed that S. venosa also possesses effective antiplasmodial activity and stephanine was also the most interesting compound but is the most cytotoxic with the lowest selectivity index. Copyright © 2017 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Phytotherapy Research StartCopTextCopyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Topics: Alkaloids; Antimalarials; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apoptosis; Aporphines; Berberine Alkaloids; Humans; MCF-7 Cells; Mitosis; Molecular Structure; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plant Tubers; Plasmodium falciparum; Stephania; Vietnam

Seven bio-active alkaloids (stepholidine, sinoacutine, isocorydine, l-tetrahydropalmatine, crebanine, fanchinoline and tetrandrine) in Stephania plants were determined by RP-HPLC, using UV detection (282 nm) and gradient elution. The reversed phase system consisted of ODS column and methanol-water-triethylamine as mobile phase. The flow rate was 1.0 ml.min-1. Good linearity between peak heights and concentrations of the alkaloids was obtained in the concentration range. The HPLC method proved accurate, precise and sensitive. The results showed that there were some differences in the occurrence and content of the alkaloids between various species and between the same species from different habitats and collecting time. Based on the results, some species with high content of the 7 bio-active alkaloids were selected. The study provided some useful information for the utilization of medicinal plant resources in the genus Stephania.

Topics: Alkaloids; Aporphines; Benzylisoquinolines; Berberine; Berberine Alkaloids; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Morphinans; Species Specificity; Stephania