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Narcissus and Daffodil

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186 J. Bastida <strong>and</strong> F. Viladomat<br />

<strong>and</strong> biological activity is largely unknown (Chiu et al., 1992), <strong>and</strong> further studies of<br />

several alkaloids still remain to be done for therapeutic purposes. The best-studied<br />

alkaloids in this group are galanthamine, lycorine, narciclasine <strong>and</strong> pretazettine,<br />

which possess a diversity of pharmacological activities.<br />

Table 6.4 Biological <strong>and</strong> pharmacological activities of <strong>Narcissus</strong> alkaloids<br />

Alkaloid Activity References<br />

10 caranine * Weak analgesic<br />

* Convulsant <strong>and</strong> hypotensive<br />

* Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor<br />

* Active against the murine<br />

P-388 lymphocytic leukaemia (as<br />

acetylcaranine)<br />

53 crinamine * Powerful transient hypotensive<br />

in dogs<br />

* Respiratory depressant<br />

* Moderate antimalarial<br />

* Antimicrobial<br />

* Moderately active against<br />

murine Rauscher viral<br />

leukaemia<br />

* Cytotoxic against Molt 4<br />

lymphoid <strong>and</strong> LMTK<br />

fibroblastic cell lines<br />

* Weak cytotoxic against HepG2<br />

hepatoma<br />

36 dubiusine * Cytotoxic against non-tumoural<br />

LMTK cells<br />

* Moderately active against Molt 4<br />

lymphoma<br />

69 galanthamine * Powerful analgesic as strong as<br />

morphine<br />

* Anticonvulsive<br />

* Hypotensive<br />

* Inductor of hypothermia in rat<br />

* Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor<br />

with peripheral <strong>and</strong> central<br />

pharmacological effects<br />

* Highly selective for<br />

acetylcholinesterase versus<br />

butyrylcholinesterase (more than<br />

50-fold greater)<br />

* Centrally-acting<br />

acetylcholinesterase inhibitor<br />

which has shown potential for<br />

the treatment of Alzheimer’s<br />

disease<br />

* Attenuates or reverses cognitive<br />

deficits induced by drugs – <strong>and</strong><br />

lesions – in animal models<br />

* Acts as noncompetitive nicotinic<br />

receptor agonist<br />

CHCD, 1996<br />

Pettit et al., 1984<br />

CHCD, 1996<br />

Furusawa et al., 1980<br />

Likhitwitayawuid et al., 1993<br />

Weniger et al., 1995<br />

Weniger et al., 1995<br />

Bores et al., 1996<br />

Chao et al., 1965<br />

CHCD, 1996<br />

Cozanitis, 1977<br />

Cozanitis <strong>and</strong> Rosenberg, 1974<br />

Cozanitis <strong>and</strong> Toivakka, 1978<br />

Cozanitis et al., 1983<br />

Fulton <strong>and</strong> Benfield, 1996<br />

Ghosal et al., 1985b<br />

Han et al., 1992<br />

Harvey, 1995<br />

Kewitz, 1996<br />

Mihailova <strong>and</strong> Yamboliev,<br />

1986<br />

Mihailova et al., 1985<br />

Mihailova et al., 1987<br />

Mihailova et al., 1989<br />

Pereira et al., 1994<br />

Radicheva et al., 1996<br />

Riemann et al., 1994<br />

Schuh, 1976<br />

Storch et al., 1995<br />

Suzuki et al., 1974

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