Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Fitoterapia. 2024 Oct;178:106132. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2024.106132. Epub 2024
 Jul 30.

Relationship between the root processing method and quality of herbal medicine 
of Rauvolfia serpentina cultivated in Japan.

Sugimura K(1), Katsuki S(2), Arai R(3), Kamiya H(3), Kawasaki T(3), Iida O(2), 
Kawahara N(2), Shrestha SS(4), Dall'Acqua S(5), Watanabe T(6).

Author information:
(1)Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of 
Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), 17007-2, Matsubarayama, 
Noma, Nakatane-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima 891-3604, Japan; Department of 
Medicinal Plant, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, 
Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan.
(2)Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of 
Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), 17007-2, Matsubarayama, 
Noma, Nakatane-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima 891-3604, Japan.
(3)Uchida Wakanyaku Co., Ltd., 4-3-4 Higashi-nippori, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 
116-8571, Japan.
(4)Himalayan Research and Development Center Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal.
(5)Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of 
Padova, Italy.
(6)Department of Medicinal Plant, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 
5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan. Electronic address: 
wtakashi@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.

Rauvolfia serpentina roots are used as herbal medicine for snake and insect 
bites, fever, malaria, abdominal pain, hypertension, and dysentery in Southeast 
Asian countries. This study evaluates the content of reserpine, ajmaline, and 
ajmalicine in R. serpentina roots obtained with an efficient root processing 
method. The plants were cultivated in Tanegashima Island in southern part of 
Japan, where NIBIOHN's experimental farm station is located. We examined both 
the type of cork layer removal method (manual work, drum mixer washing, and 
high-pressure washing) and dried roots. We found that the resulting active 
ingredient contents were not significantly different between manual work and 
30 min of drum mixer washing, and high-pressure washing. The washing in a drum 
mixer for 30 min could be an efficient root processing method. The amount of 
each active ingredient was compared in each root part (large-, middle-, and 
small-diameter roots), and there were no significant difference in their 
contents. In conclusion, R. serpentina roots having a diameter ≥ 0.5 cm contain 
a similar amount of active ingredients, suggesting that the quality of the crude 
drug does not vary in the root part. Thus, our study provides significant 
insights into the use of R. serpentina roots for herbal medicine applications as 
well as constituents of active ingredients.

Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2024.106132
PMID: 39089593 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors 
report no conflict of interest.


2. Nat Prod Res. 2024 May 20:1-5. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2354861. Online
ahead  of print.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the Amazonian fruit Ambelania 
acida Aubl.

da Silva YC(1), da Silva Gomes G(2), Antonio ADS(3), Pimentel Rosado C(4), 
Pereira HMG(3), Kazumy de Lima Yamaguchi K(2), Teodoro AJ(5), da Veiga Júnior 
VF(1).

Author information:
(1)Chemical Engineering Section, Military Institute of Engineering, Rio de 
Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
(2)Institute of Health and Biotechnology, Federal University of Amazonas, Coari, 
AM, Brazil.
(3)Laboratory for the Support of Technological Development, Chemistry Institute, 
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
(4)Nutrition School, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de 
Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
(5)Faculty of Nutrition, Fluminense Federal University Rio de Janeiro, Rio de 
Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts from the pulp of Ambelania acida Aubl. 
(Apocynaceae) fruits were subjected to analysis through UHPLC-HRMS and 
antioxidant potential using the TPC, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC assays. A 
putative identification of the compounds carried out by comparison of the 
fragmentation spectra revealed the predominance of the monoterpene indole 
alkaloids tabersonine, pseudocopsinine, ajmalicine, and strictosidine. 
Additionally, gallic acid, caffeic acid, citric acid, 3-O-p-coumaroylquinic 
acid, chlorogenic acid, catechin, ellagic acid, eschweilenol C (ellagic acid 
deoxyhexoside), and sucrose were identified. In face of the phenolic compounds 
observed, hydroalcoholic extract showed a higher antioxidant activity compared 
to the aqueous extract, observed at TPC (108.85 mg GAE/100g), FRAP (0.73 µmol 
Fe2SO4/g), DPPH (1221.76 µmol TE/g), ABTS (3460.00 µmol TE/g), and ORAC assays 
(120.47 µmol TE/g). These findings underscore the abundant presence of bioactive 
compounds, including phenolics and alkaloids, in an edible Amazonian fruit.

DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2354861
PMID: 38767203


3. Planta. 2023 Dec 27;259(2):30. doi: 10.1007/s00425-023-04311-z.

Modulation of terpenoid indole alkaloid pathway via elicitation with 
phytosynthesized silver nanoparticles for the enhancement of ajmalicine, a 
pharmaceutically important alkaloid.

Verma SK(1)(2), Goyary D(3), Singh AK(2), Anandhan S(4), Raina SN(5), Pandey 
S(6), Kumar S(7), Khare N(8).

Author information:
(1)Nims Institute of Allied Medical Science and Technology, Nims University 
Rajasthan, Delhi-Jaipur Highway, NH-11C, Jaipur, 303121, Rajasthan, India.
(2)National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, 
India.
(3)Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Defence Research Laboratory, Tezpur, 
Assam, India.
(4)ICAR-Directorate of Onion and Garlic Research, Rajgurunagar, Pune, 410505, 
Maharashtra, India.
(5)Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Uttar 
Pradesh, Sector 125, Noida, 201313, India.
(6)School of Bioengineering and Food Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences and 
Biotechnology, Shoolini University, Solan, 173229, Himachal Pradesh, India.
(7)National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411007, Maharashtra, 
India.
(8)Nims Institute of Allied Medical Science and Technology, Nims University 
Rajasthan, Delhi-Jaipur Highway, NH-11C, Jaipur, 303121, Rajasthan, India. 
neerajsnkhare@gmail.com.

The use of silver nanoparticles as elicitors in cell cultures of Rauwolfia 
serpentina resulted in increased levels of ajmalicine, upregulated structural 
and regulatory genes, elevated MDA content, and reduced activity of antioxidant 
enzymes. These findings hold potential for developing a cost-effective method 
for commercial ajmalicine production. Plants possess an intrinsic ability to 
detect various stress signals, prompting the activation of defense mechanisms 
through the reprogramming of metabolites to counter adverse conditions. The 
current study aims to propose an optimized bioprocess for enhancing the content 
of ajmalicine in Rauwolfia serpentina callus through elicitation with 
phytosynthesized silver nanoparticles. Initially, callus lines exhibiting 
elevated ajmalicine content were established. Following this, a protocol for the 
phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using seed extract from Rauwolfia 
serpentina was successfully standardized. The physicochemical attributes of the 
silver nanoparticles were identified, including their spherical shape, size 
ranging from 6.7 to 28.8 nm in diameter, and the presence of reducing-capping 
groups such as amino, carbonyl, and amide. Further, the findings indicated that 
the presence of 2.5 mg L-1 phytosynthesized silver nanoparticles in the culture 
medium increased the ajmalicine content. Concurrently, structural genes (TDC, 
SLS, STR, SGD, G10H) and regulatory gene (ORCA3) associated with the ajmalicine 
biosynthetic pathway were observed to be upregulated. A notable increase in MDA 
content and a decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes were observed. A 
notable increase in MDA content and a decrease in the activities of antioxidant 
enzymes were also observed. Our results strongly recommend the augmentation of 
ajmalicine content in the callus culture of R. serpentina through 
supplementation with silver nanoparticles, a potential avenue for developing a 
cost-effective process for the commercial production of ajmalicine.

© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, 
part of Springer Nature.

DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04311-z
PMID: 38150044 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


4. Org Lett. 2024 Jan 12;26(1):274-279. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c03972. Epub
2023  Dec 22.

Combination of Machine Learning and Empirical Computation for the Structural 
Validation of Trirosaline, a Natural Trimeric Monoterpene Indole Alkaloid from 
Catharanthus roseus.

Szwarc S(1), Jagora A(1), Derbré S(2), Leblanc K(1), Rharrabti S(1), 
Said-Hassane C(3), El Kalamouni C(3), Gallard JF(4), Le Pogam P(1), Beniddir 
MA(1).

Author information:
(1)Équipe "Chimie des Substances Naturelles" Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 
BioCIS, 17 avenue des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France.
(2)Université Angers, SONAS, SFR QUASAV, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department 
of Pharmacy, 16 Bd Daviers, 49045 CEDEX 01 Angers, France.
(3)Unité Mixte Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical, Université de 
la Réunion, INSERM U1187, CNRS UMR 9192, IRD UMR 249, Plateforme Technologique 
CYROI, 97490 Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France.
(4)Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS, ICSN UPR 2301, Université 
Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.

Chemical investigation of the emblematic Catharanthus roseus led to the 
discovery of trirosaline (1), the first example of a tris-ajmalicine-type 
monoterpene indole alkaloid and the first natural trimeric MIA ever reported 
from this deeply dug plant species. Its structure was primarily elucidated based 
on NMR and HRESIMS analyses, and the nature of its unique intermonomeric 
linkages was firmly confirmed based on a combination of empirical computation 
and ML-J-DP4 study. Its absolute configuration was mitigated by comparison of 
experimental and TDDFT-simulated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. A 
possible biosynthetic pathway for trirosaline (1) was postulated.

DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c03972
PMID: 38134219 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


5. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2024 Jan;38(1):e23614. doi: 10.1002/jbt.23614. Epub
2023  Dec 8.

Ajmalicine induces the pyroptosis of hepatoma cells to exert the antitumor 
effect.

Sun Z(1), Ma C(1), Zhan X(1).

Author information:
(1)Pharmacy Department, Zhejiang Rongjun Hospital, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, 
China.

Ajmalicine (AJM) is an alkaloid extracted from the root of Yunan Rauvolfia 
verticillata. At present, little research has reported the antitumor 
pharmacological action and mechanism of AJM. Therefore, this work aimed to 
conduct relevant research. The mouse hepatoma cell line H22 was intervened with 
a gradient concentration of AJM. Subsequently, the pyroptosis level was detected 
by flow cytometry. The expression of inflammatory factors and lactate 
dehydrogenase was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Reactive oxygen 
species (ROS) expression was detected by dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate 
probe. In addition, the tumor-bearing model mice were also treated with AJM to 
analyze tumor growth as well as the expression levels of tissue inflammatory 
factors and proteins. According to our results, AJM promoted the pyroptosis of 
H22 cells, increased the pyroptosis rate, and upregulated the expression of 
inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6. 
At the same time, it enhanced the openness of membrane pores and increased the 
expression of ROS. Moreover, AJM promoted the expression of Caspase-3 and 
N-terminal gasdermin E (GSDME). The AJM-induced pyroptosis was suppressed after 
N-acetylcysteine treatment to inhibit ROS, while Caspase-3 knockdown also 
inhibited the AJM-induced pyroptosis. In animals, AJM suppressed tumor growth. 
AJM can activate ROS to induce pyroptosis and exert the antitumor effect via the 
noncanonical Caspase-3-GSDME pyroptosis pathway.

© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23614
PMID: 38064316 [Indexed for MEDLINE]