Planta Med 2003; 69(7): 677-679
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-41126
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Aporphine Alkaloids from Guatteria spp. with Leishmanicidal Activity

Hector Montenegro1 , Marcelino Gutiérrez1 , 2 , Luz I. Romero3 , Eduardo Ortega-Barría3 , Todd L. Capson4 , Luis Cubilla Rios1
  • 1Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Panamá, Panama City, Republic of Panama
  • 2Current address: Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
  • 3Institute for Tropical Medicine and Health Science, Florida State University - Panama, El Dorado, Republic of Panama
  • 4Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
This work was supported by US NIH grant #1U01 TW01021-01 from the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups program ICBG.
Further Information

Publication History

Received: October 29, 2002

Accepted: March 29, 2003

Publication Date:
04 August 2003 (online)

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Abstract

Fractionation of Guatteria amplifolia yielded the alkaloids xylopine (1), nornuciferine (4), lysicamine (6), and laudanosine (5). Fractionation of Guatteria dumetorum yielded the alkaloids cryptodorine (2) and nornantenine (3). Compounds 1 - 4 demonstrated significant activity against Leishmania mexicana and L. panamensis. Xylopine (1) was among the most active compounds (LD50 = 3 μM) and showed a 37-fold higher toxicity towards L. mexicana than macrophages, the regular host cells of Leishmania spp.

References

Dr. Luis Cubilla Rios

Departamento de Química Orgánica

Apdo. 0824-10835

Universidad de Panamá

Panama City

Republic of Panama

Phone: +507-681-5371

Fax: +507-264-4450

Email: lucr@ancon.up.ac.pa