Search results for "ALKALOIDS"
showing 10 items of 182 documents
Synthetic Approaches to the Lamellarins—A Comprehensive Review
2014
The present review discusses the known synthetic routes to the lamellarin alkaloids published until 2014. It begins with syntheses of the structurally simpler type-II lamellarins and then focuses on the larger class of the 5,6-saturated and -unsaturated type-I lamellarins. The syntheses are grouped by the strategy employed for the assembly of the central pyrrole ring.
Temperature effects explain continental scale distribution of cyanobacterial toxins
2018
Insight into how environmental change determines the production and distribution of cyanobacterial toxins is necessary for risk assessment. Management guidelines currently focus on hepatotoxins (microcystins). Increasing attention is given to other classes, such as neurotoxins (e.g., anatoxin-a) and cytotoxins (e.g., cylindrospermopsin) due to their potency. Most studies examine the relationship between individual toxin variants and environmental factors, such as nutrients, temperature and light. In summer 2015, we collected samples across Europe to investigate the effect of nutrient and temperature gradients on the variability of toxin production at a continental scale. Direct and indirect…
N-Methyl-β-carboline alkaloids: structure-dependent photosensitizing properties and localization in subcellular domains
2020
N-Methyl-β-carboline (βC) alkaloids, including normelinonine F (1b) and melinonine F (2b), have been found in a vast range of living species playing different biological, biomedical and/or pharmacological roles. Despite this, molecular bases of the mechanisms through which these alkaloids would exert their effect still remain unknown. Fundamental aspects including the photosensitizing properties and intracellular internalization of a selected group of N-methyl-βC alkaloids were investigated herein. Data reveal that methylation of the βC main ring enhances its photosensitizing properties either by increasing its binding affinity with DNA as a biomolecular target and/or by increasing its oxid…
Inhibition of ovarian steroidogenesis by cyclic-GMP in a fly
2003
1479-6805 0022-0795; Previous investigations in the female blowfly Phormia regina have shown that 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), a broad spectrum inhibitor of phosphodiesterases (PDEs), fails to mimic the steroidogenic effects of cAMP on ovaries, although it efficiently increases the concentrations of this second messenger. In this study, experiments carried out to clear up this contradiction demonstrated that IBMX, besides its effect on cAMP, also increased cGMP concentrations in blowfly ovary and that these two cyclic nucleotides controlled ovarian steroidogenesis antagonistically. In particular, a selective inhibitor of cGMP-specific PDEs, unlike IBMX, had a very strong negative eff…
Effects of Long-Term Nitroglycerin Treatment on Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS III) Gene Expression, NOS III–Mediated Superoxide Production, …
2000
Abstract —Long-term nitroglycerin (NTG) treatment has been shown to be associated with cross-tolerance to endothelium-dependent vasodilators. It may involve increased production of reactive oxygen species (such as superoxide, O 2 ·− ) that rapidly inactivate the nitric oxide (NO) released from the endothelial cells. It remains to be elucidated, however, whether long-term treatment with NTG alters the activity and expression of the endothelial NO synthase (NOS III) and whether this enzyme can contribute to O 2 ·− formation. We studied the influence of long-term NTG treatment on the expression of NOS III as assessed by RNase protection assay and Western blot. Tolerance was measured ex vivo i…
Comparative study of the rat uterine smooth muscle relaxant activity of three bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinolines with tetrandrine
1993
Abstract The relaxant activity of three bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinolines—obaberine, popisonine and lindoldhamine—was examined in rat isolated uterus and their inhibitory potencies were compared with that of tetrandrine. All alkaloids tested relaxed KCl-depolarized rat uterus and totally or partially inhibited oxytocin-induced rhythmic contractions. The degree of methylation of the free phenolic hydroxy groups and the loss of one diarylether bridge influence the potency of relaxant action of these alkaloids. Only alkaloids with absolute configuration 1R,1′S or 1R1′R acted intracellularly, promoting relaxation of contractile responses induced by oxytocin or vanadate in a Ca2+-free medium.
Inhibition of calcium entry induced by cularines and isocrasifoline in uterine smooth muscle.
1991
Abstract The effects of nifedipine, papaverine and four benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (cularine, cularidine, celtisine and isocrasifoline) were studied in isolated rat uterus in order to clarify the mechanism of their relaxant action. All the compounds tested completely relaxed KCl-induced contractions and totally or partially inhibited oxytocin-induced rhythmic contractions. Only papaverine acted intracellularly, promoting relaxation of contractile responses induced by oxytocin or vanadate in a Ca 2+ -free medium. In spite of the structural relationship between papaverine and the other alkaloids, the mechanism of their relaxant action is not the same. The activities of cularine derivatives …
Selective inhibition of calcium entry induced by benzylisoquinolines in rat smooth muscle.
1992
Abstract The mechanism of relaxant activity of six benzylisoquinolines was examined in order to determine the minimal structural requirements that enable these compounds to have either a non-specific action like papaverine or an inhibitory activity on calcium entry via potential-operated channels. All the alkaloids tested totally or partially relaxed KCl-depolarized rat uterus and inhibited oxytocin-induced rhythmic contractions. Only glaucine and laudanosine inhibited K+-induced uterine contractions more than oxytocin-induced uterine contractions. In Ca+-free medium, sustained contractions induced by oxytocin or vanadate were relaxed by the alkaloids tested except for glaucine and laudanos…
Degradation of an alkaloid pheromone from the pale-brown chafer, Phyllopertha diversa (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), by an insect olfactory cytochrome P…
1999
AbstractThe pale-brown chafer, Phyllopertha diversa, utilizes an unusual alkaloid, 1,3-dimethyl-2,4-(1H,3H)-quinazolinedione, as its sex pheromone. This compound is rapidly degraded in vitro by the antennal protein extracts from this scarab beetle. Demethylation at the N-1 position and hydroxylation of the aromatic ring have been identified as the major catabolic pathways. The enzyme responsible for the pheromone degradation is membrane-bound, requires NAD(P)H for activity and is sensitive to cytochrome P450 inhibitors, such as proadifen and metyrapone. The ability to metabolize this unusual pheromone was not detected in 12 species tested, indicating that the P450 system, specific to male P…
Thiazole Analogues of the Marine Alkaloid Nortopsentin as Inhibitors of Bacterial Biofilm Formation
2020
Anti-virulence strategy is currently considered a promising approach to overcome the global threat of the antibiotic resistance. Among different bacterial virulence factors, the biofilm formation is recognized as one of the most relevant. Considering the high and growing percentage of multi-drug resistant infections that are biofilm-mediated, new therapeutic agents capable of counteracting the formation of biofilms are urgently required. In this scenario, a new series of 18 thiazole derivatives was efficiently synthesized and evaluated for its ability to inhibit biofilm formation against the Gram-positive bacterial reference strains Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and S. aureus ATCC 6538 a…