title: Alkaloid profiling and anticholinesterase activity of South American Lycopodiaceae species.
abstract: The alkaloid extracts of four Huperzia and one Lycopodiella species, from Brazilian habitats, were tested for their in vitro anticholinesterase activities. IC(50) values showed a potent acetylcholinesterase inhibition for H. reflexa (0.11 ± 0.05 μg/mL), followed by H. quadrifariata (2.0 ± 0.3 μg/mL), H. acerosa (5.5 ± 0.9 μg/mL), H. heterocarpon (25.6 ± 2.7 μg/mL) and L. cernua (42.6 ± 1.5 μg/mL). A lower inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase was observed for all species with the exception of H. heterocarpon (8.3 ± 0.9 μg/mL), whose alkaloid extract presented a selectivity for pseudocholinesterase. Moreover, the chemical study of the bioactive extracts performed by GC-MS, revealed the presence of a number of Lycopodium alkaloids belonging to the lycopodane, flabellidane and cernuane groups. Surprisingly, the potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors huperzines A and B were not detected in the extracts, suggesting that other alkaloids may be responsible for such an effect.
authors: Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors: Eduardo Luis
authors: EL
authors: Konrath
authors: María Gabriela
authors: MG
authors: Ortega
authors: Sérgio
authors: S
authors: de Loreto Bordignon
authors: Miriam Anders
authors: MA
authors: Apel
authors: Amélia Teresinha
authors: AT
authors: Henriques
authors: José Luis
authors: JL
authors: Cabrera
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001938:Brazil; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D032501:Huperzia / Q000737:chemistry; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D029542:Lycopodiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D011807:Quinolizines / Q000494:pharmacology; D013020:South America
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011807:Quinolizines; C529946:cernuine; C513871:clavolonine; C016542:lycopodine; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase