Relaxant activity of three aporphine alkaloids from Annona cherimolia on isolated aorta of rat.

Abstract In the present study we tested the relaxant effect of three aporphine alkaloids—roemerine, anonaine and dehydroroemerine—isolated from the roots of Annona cherimolia, on isolated strips of rat thoracic aorta. All compounds completely relaxed KCl- and noradrenaline-induced contractions with different potencies depending on their structural characteristics. The experiments, carried out in Ca2+-free medium using two different agonists (noradrenaline and caffeine) which mobilize calcium intracellularly by different mechanisms of action, showed that the alkaloids made no contribution to intracellular calcium processes. The present study provides evidence that the relaxant effects produc…