• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.32 no.1 s.124
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• pp.49-54
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• 2001

The effects of protoberberine compounds on serotonin biosynthesis in P815 cells were investigated. Protoberberine compounds such as berberine, palmatine and coralyne decreased serotonin content dose-dependently, but coptisine did not. The $IC_{50}$ values of berberine, palmatine and coralyne were $3.0\;{\mu}M,\;16.5\;{\mu}M\;and\;14.5\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Protoberberine compounds at concentrations up to $20\;{\mu}M$ were not cytotoxic towards P815 cells. The activity of tryptophan hydroxylase, a ratelimiting enzyme in serotonin biosynthesis, was inhibited by the exposure of berberine, palmatine and coralyne in P815 cells (14.9-19.3% inhibition at $2-15\;{\mu}M$), but that of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase was not. These results suggest that the inhibition of tryptophan hydroxylase activity by berberine, palmatine and coralyne might partially contribute to the decrease in serotonin content in P815 cells.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.36-40
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• 1995

In order to investigate the biological activity of protoberberine derivatives, they were synthesized four derivatives (1-4) of 7,8 adduct of cycloberberine, two derivatives (5, 6) treated with alkylamine or phenylamine, four compounds (7, 8) and (9, 10) adduct with 1,3-dichloroacetone and oxalychloride. Antibacterial activity of these synthesized compounds was tested.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.757-761
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• 2006

Six protoberberine alkaloids were isolated from the chloroform layer of the rhizome of Coptis japonica Makino (Ranunculaceae). The structures of the isolated compounds were determined to be 6-([1,3]dioxolo[4,5-g]isoquinoline-5-carbonyl)-2,3-dimethoxy-benzoic acid methyl ester (1), oxyberberine (2), 8-oxo-epiberberine (3), 8-oxocoptisine (4), berberine (5) and palmatine (6) by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The compound 3 (8-oxo-epiberberine) was first isolated from natural sources. The compounds were tested for cytotoxicity against five tumor cell lines in vitro by SRB method, and also tested for the MDR reversal activities. Compound 4 was of significant P-gp MDR inhibition activity with ED50 value $0.018\;{\mu}g/mL$ in MES-SA/DX5 cell and $0.0005\;{\mu}g/mL$ in HCT15 cell, respectively.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.296-301
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• 1990

Irradiation of the berberinephenolbetaine in a stream of argon produced the 8,14-cycloberberines [1]. On treatment with ethylchloroformate $C_8-N$ bond cleavage of the compound [1] occurred, accompanied with dehydrochlorination to give 7-ethylcarboxyisoquinoline [3], and the product [3] treated with strong alkali solution to give the 13-oxonorotensane [4] in 64% yield. Irradiation of the compound [4] converted easily to dihydro-8H-dibenzo[a, g] quinolizine-8-one [5]. and then the compound [5] was treated with methyliodide to give the 8-oxo-quinolizinium methiode. The intermediate colume chromatography on IRA-400 afforded the benzo[c, g]azecine-5-one[6] in 63% yield. The results of biological activities for these compounds are also presented.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.33 no.3 s.130
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• pp.182-186
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• 2002

The Coptidis rhizoma is known for containing protoberberine alkaloids. Berberine, coptisine and palmatine are the major constituents of protoberberine alkaloids. The alkaloids were isolated and determined by forming complex compounds from Coptidis rhizoma in preparation I(Sam-Hwang-Sa-Sim-Tang) and II(Hwang-Ryen-Tang). For the determination of these alkaloids, a new spectrophotometric method was developed with a simple and selective sample clean-up using thiocyanatocobaltate[II] complex compound ion. The absorbance of alkaloidal complex compounds in l.2-dichloroethane solution was measured at 625 nm. Calibration curve for the alkaloids isolated from Coptidis rhizoma was linear over the concentration range of 0.2-0.3 mg/ml. The method was proved to be rapid, simple and reliable for the isolation and the determination of the alkaloids in Coptidis rhizoma preparation I and II.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.65.1-65.1
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• 2003

Natural benzo[c]phenanthridine and protoberberine alkaloids which have been attractive to synthetic organic chemists and biochemists over the last 2 decades since such compounds have shown interesting biological properties such as antitumor, antiviral and antimicrobacterial activities. For the systematic research on these alkaloids, several total syntheses of these alkaloids have been reported. However, the bulk of reported benzo[c]phenanthridine synthetic studies to date have involved multistep sequences for assembly of the target molecules as well as lack of generality for synthesizing substituted molecules. (omitted)

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.91-96
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• 1994

Irradiation of the berberinephenolbetaine [1] effected valence tautamerization to five 8,14-cycloberbine[21, which was converted to the spirobenzylisoquinolines by regioselective C-N bond cleavage A variety of ring systems such as compounds [4], [5] and [6] were introduced by the structural modification of berberinephenolbetaine.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.487-490
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• 1996

The 13-hydroxyberbine(1), derived from berberinephenolbetaine, has been derivatized to furnish a variety of compounds such as 13-oxoberbine(2), 13-thioberbine(3), 13-chloroberbi ne(4), 13-(2-methylaziridine)berbine(5) and 13-carbolactoneberbine(6). Antitumor activity of these compounds was tested.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.257-263
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• 1997

Berberis amurensis Ruprecht(Berberidaceae) is a medicinal plant indigenous to the middle and northern part of Korean peninsula. The woody parts of this plant have been used for the ocular, peptic and intestinal disorders. The stems of this plants were extracted with MeOH and the MeOH extract was partitioned between organic phases and water layer, successively to fractionated quarternary alkaloids. The acetone-soluble part of guarternary alkaloidal fraction had antibacterial activities and it contained four protoberberine alkaloids such as palmatine(I), Berberine(II), Jatrorrhizine(III) and coptisine(IV), and one aporphine alkaloid, magnoflorine(V). Although the isolations of the compounds I, II, IIII, IV and V from different sources were reported, this is the first report that Berberis amurensis contained the compounds. When the contents of compound I(palmatine) and II(berberine) were quantified and compared with those of other plant parts, cortex contained higher palmatine and berberine than any other part of the plant.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.108-112
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• 2011

Several isoquinoline alkaloids (1 - 18), which have basic chemical structures as protoberberine and aporphine skeletones, were evaluated for their inhibitory activities on AChE and BuChE. Among them, compounds 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 showed the potent AchE activity with the $IC_{50}$ values ranging from $10.2{\pm}0.5\;{\mu}M$ to $24.5{\pm}1.6\;{\mu}M$, meanwhile, compound 14 - 17 exhibited strong inhibitory activity with $IC_{50}$ values from $2.1{\pm}0.2$ to $5.5{\pm}0.3\;{\mu}M$. Compounds 14 - 17 exhibited selective inhibition for AChE compared with BuChE. The isoquinoline alkaloid possesses aromatic methylenedioxy groups and quaternary nitrogen atoms are crucial for the anti-cholinesterase inhibitory activity.