Menispermaceae activity

Para, Tube or Bamboo Curare. This variety was packed in sections of bamboo, but this almost traditional information needs modification since tube curare became a commercial article. It is now a viscous, solid or even powdered extract, exported in sealed tins. In view of the relationship established between bebeerine, curine, and tubocurarhie, the active alkaloid of this variety of curare, the suggestion was made, first by Spath, Leithe and Ladeck, and more definitely by King that its botanical source should be sought among the Brazilian Menispermaceae, and as shown later the search for the source of the d-tubocurarine found in this variety of curare has been narrowed down to Chondrodendron tomentosum, or possibly a closely related species liable to be confused with it. 

Fangchinoline (40), a 4> 5-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Stephania tetrandra S. Moore (family Menispermaceae), was evaluated to possess significant antihyperglycemic activity studied in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic ddY mice in a dose-dependent manner the drug reduced the blood glucose level of diabetic mice by 52.7 6.7% when administered in 14 h-fasted diabetic mice at a dose of 1 mg/kg. Blood... 

The arrow poison curare, when produced from Chondrodendron species (Menispermaceae), contains principally the bis-benzyltetrahydroisoquino-line alkaloid tubocurarine (see page 324). Species of Strychnos, especially S. toxifera, are employed in making loganiaceous curare, and biologically active alkaloids isolated from such preparations have been identified as a series of toxiferines, e.g. C-toxiferine (Figure 6.85). The structures appear remarkably complex, but may be envisaged as a combination of two Wieland-Gumlich... 

Bisbenzylisoquinolines (macrocyclic or linear, formed by 2 benzylisoquinolines) (+)-tubocurarine (macrocyclic) (acetylcholine (nicotinic) receptor antagonist and skeletal muscle relaxant major component of Chondrodendron species (Menispermaceae) pareira bark-derived curare arrow poison) dauricine (linear) (Menispermaceae curarelike anaesthetic) rodiasine (macrocyclic) (Ocotoea venenosa (Lauraceae) curare-like skeletal muscle relaxant) cepharanthine (macrocyclic) (Stephania species (Menispermaceae) anti-mycobacterial active against leprosy and tuberculosis). 

An active principle from the seeds of Anamirta cocculus = A. paniculata) (Menispermaceae). The fruits of A. cocculus are sometimes known as fish berries or Levant berries . 

Liriodenine was found to be the mutagenic principle in a methanol extract of the root, root stalk, and stem of Sinomenium acutum (Menispermaceae). The alkaloid exhibited potent mutagenic activity towards Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 in the presence of liver homogenate (S9 mix)(10.9 and 90.7 revertants/nmol, respectively), and accounted for about 40% of the mutagenicity of the total methanol extract. The mutagenic potency of liriodenine is comparable to that of benzo[a]pyrene [295]. 

Menispermaceae contains many medicinal and toxic plants. Some of the South American Menispermaceae were used by native Indians for their curare activity [7]. The western world was introduced to the muscle relaxants by the Spaniards, who encountered these arrow poisons in 1514 [7, 95]. The main South American Menispermaceae species used to prepare pot/tube curare are Chondrodendron tomentosum, and three of the four known curarea genus, Curarea candicans, C. tecunarum and C. toxicofera [7]. 

The antimicrobial activity of aporphine alkaloids in general has been tested and oxoaporphines were the most active [108]. Some of these alkaloids are found to be toxic for mammalian cells in tissue cultures [109]. In another study of antimicrobial activity of fourteen benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, two oxoaporphines isolated from species of South American Menispermaceae, lysicamine (10) and O-methylmoschatoline (homomoschatoline) (11), had activity against cocci and gram positive bacilli, including Mycobacterium phlei [110]. 

Chapter 3 by Mary D. Menachery surveys the alkaloids of South American Menispermaceae (moonseed family). Many different structural types are included in this family. The alkaloidbearing plants are woody-vines, shrubs, or small trees. Several of these species possess potent curare activity. The chemistry as well as pharmacology of these alkaloids is summarized. 

Moody JO, Robert VA, Connolly JD et al (2006) Anti-inflammatory activities of the methanol extracts and an isolated furanoditerpene constituent of Sphenocentrum jollyanum Pierre (Menispermaceae). J Ethnopharmacol 104 87-91... 

Alkaloids are particularly important in arrow poisons based on Chondrodendron (Menispermaceae) and Strychnos (Loganiaceae) species, but they are the active ingredients of arrow poisons from many other species as well (Cordell, 1978). 

Menispermaceae). Shows potent cytotoxic activity. Morita, H. et al, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 1995, 5, 597. 

Following the previous reviews published by Manske (1954), Jeffs (1967), and Bhakuni (1986), it is easy to see that the research on these alkaloids has grown substantially. This review covers the period from 1986 to 2001, and it shows that there were 589 citations describing studies on the phytochemistry and/or biological activities of 138 protoberberine alkaloids isolated from 310 plants from 13 families. Among the families cited as producers of protoberberine alkaloids, a simple analysis of Fig. 1, calls attention to the vast majority of citations from plants of the family Papaveraceae with 332 citations (45% of the total), followed by the family Berberidaceae with 144 citations (19%), and the family Ranunculaceae with 90 citations (12%). In terms of the number of different protoberberine alkaloids isolated from the families, again the family Papaveraceae comes in first place with 54 different alkaloids (39%), followed by the family Menispermaceae with 42 (30%), and the family Annonaceae with 36 (26%) different alkaloids. Chart 1 also shows that the families Apocynaceae, Fabaceae, Polygalaceae, and Rubiaceae each had only one alkaloid of this type described in the period. 

The most active principle of Menispermaceae curare is (+)-tubocurarine (25, 39). The origin plants of tubocurare are mainly of the Chondodendron species such as C. tomentosum, C. platyphyllum, and C. candicans, C. tomentosum is a liana whose bark and stem contain (+)-tubocurarine. 

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