Aconitum Alkaloids and Biological Activities

Ainura Chodoeva, Jean-Jacques Bose, and Jacques Robert 

This chapter summarizes the results of the most recent research works on the pharmacological and toxicological characteristics of alkaloids from various Aconitum species and highlights the analgesic, antiarrhythmic, and anticancer effects, attributed to various diterpenoid alkaloids. Diester diterpenoid alkaloids have been characterized as the most toxic compounds because of the presence of acetyl and benzoyl esters in the structures. Their capacity to bind to the sodium channels and activate permanent influx of Na ions through cell membranes was 

INSERM U916, Institut Bergonie, Universite Bordeaux Segalen, Bordeaux, France e-mail chodoevaak mail.ru a.chodoeva bordeaux.unicancer.fr 

Aconitum analgesic activity antiarrhythmic activity anticancer activity arrhythmogenic effect diterpenoid alkaloids 

ED50 The calculated estimate of the dose at which the compound is expected to induce 50% of its pharmacological response i.p. Intraperitoneal 

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The genus Consolida, Aconitum, and Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) are well-known to be rich in diterpene alkaloids, which possess a diverse range of biological activities. These plants have also been the cause of poisonings, which primarily occur in cattle as well as human beings, due to toxicity of their alkaloids. In one of our recent studies, five diterpenoid-derivative alkaloids, lycoctonine (9), 18-O-methyllycoctonine (10), delcosine (11), 14-acetyldelcosine (12), and 14-acetylbrowniine (13) (as shown in Fig. 3) were screened for their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities [39]. 

Even though much is already known about the toxicity of diterpene alkaloids that contribute to the toxicity of Consolida, Delphinium, and Aconitium species, no antiviral study has been so far reported on this type of alkaloids. Therefore, no SAR studies have been encountered by us on the antiviral or antimicrobial activities of these alkaloids. However, a quantitative SAR analysis performed on a number of diterpene alkaloids isolated from an Aconitum sp. indicated that biological activity of these alkaloids may be related to their toxicity rather than to a specific pharmacological action [40]. In a current study on 43 norditerpenoid alkaloids from Consolida, Delphinium, and Aconitum species against several tumor cell lines, lycoctonine and browniine were... 

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