Africane biosynthesis

Ferguson, MAJ (2000) Glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis validated as a drug target for African sleeping sickness. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 97 10673-10675... 

The Amazon Indians Waiapi living in the West of Amapa State of Brazil, treat malaria with an inhalation of vapor obtained from leaves of Viola surinamensis. The antimalarial activity of the aromatic volatile plant extracts from leaves, showed that nerolidol (an acyclic oxygenated sesquiterpene) was identified as one of the active principles (36). Another recent study suggested the presence of an active isoprenoid pathway for biosynthesis of isoprenic chains of coenzyme Q in P. falciparum (37), parasites treated with nerolidol showed decreased ability to synthesize coenzyme Q in all intraerythrocytic stages. A challenge would be to now identify which African medicinal plants contain similar chemistry. 

Historically, reviews of benzophenones were included as small sections with the biogenetically related xanthones. Previous reviews include Bennett and Lee [1] who discussed the distribution and isolation of 20 benzophenones included in a review focused on xanthones. They also discussed the biosynthetic relationships between xanthones and benzophenones. Kumar and Baslas [2] summarized the chemical composition, medical importance, and biologically active benzophenones, biflavonoids, and xanthones isolated from Garcinia species. Two reviews by Waterman focused on the chemotaxonomic significance of benzophenones, along with biflavonoids and xanthones, of ten African Garcinia species [3,4], Locksley and Murray [5] discussed the distribution of thirteen benzophenones in higher plants and Sultanbawa [6] included five benzophenones in a review on xanthonoids from tropical plants. Sultanbawa also discussed the biosynthesis of benzophenones and xanthones. Erdelmeier et al. [7] discussed 20 polyprenylated benzophenones in a chapter on the various properties of St. John s Wort Hypericum perforatum). 

Foy and Kondi (1953) found that penicillin was effective in some megaloblastic anemias in Africans, but not in those who appeared to lack intrinsic factor. They suggest that the action was on the biosynthesis of hemopoietic factors. Small doses of an antibiotic may profoundly change the morphology (and presumably the metabolism) of microorganisms. For a discussion of the subject of antibiotics in nutrition, the reader is referred to Cuthbertson (1952). 

The essential oil from the leaves of the African plant Pkc-tranthus scutellarioides (syn. Perilla nankinensis or P. frutescens, Lamiaceae) contains as a main component (50-60%) monocyclic (-)-perrillyl aldehyde (perUlal, 8-40), whose biosynthesis starts with (-)-limonene and proceeds via (-)-perillyl alcohol as the intermediate. Animal studies suggest that perillyl alcohol may help slow the growth of pancreatic, mammary and liver tumours. 

Pederin (167) is a potent insect poison that is isolated from the East African beetle Paederus fuscipes. It is also a powerful inhibitor of the biosynthesis of proteins and of the mitosis of cells. The toxin has now been synthesized by... 

W. J. Masterson M. A. Ferguson. Phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride inhibits GPI anchor biosynthesis in the African trypanosome. EMBO J, 1991, 10, 2041 -2045. 

D. K. Sharma, T. K. Smith, A. Crossman, J. S. Brimacombe M. A. Ferguson. Substrate specificity of the N-acetylglucosaminyl-phosphatidylinositol de-N-acetylase of glycosylphosphatidylinositol membrane anchor biosynthesis in African trypanosomes and human cells. Biochem J, 1997, 328, 171-177. 

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