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Substrates of Human CYP2D6
Published in Shufeng Zhou, Cytochrome P450 2D6, 2018
Certain β-carbolines, such as pinoline, tryptoline, 6-hydroxy-tetrahydro-β-carboline, harman, and norharman, have been detected as normal constituents in human tissues and body fluids. Their levels in humans are usually increased after drinking alcohol. Harmaline and harmine exhibit potent inhibitory effect on MAO-A activity (Herraiz and Chaparro 2006), and both compounds are the principal active agents in Peganum harmala, a traditional Chinese medicine. The neurotoxic properties of p-carboline alkaloids may account for their associations with Parkinson’s disease. Tryptophanderived β-carbolines are similar to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in structure, which is known to induce immediate and irreversible parkinsonism through its neurotoxic metabolite, a quaternary ion (MPP+). Therefore, CYP2D6 status may be associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Inhibiting Low-Density Lipoproteins Intimal Deposition and Preserving Nitric Oxide Function in the Vascular System
Published in Christophe Wiart, Medicinal Plants in Asia for Metabolic Syndrome, 2017
The seeds of Peganum harmala L. elaborate harmine and harmaline which, at a concentration of 10 µM, inhibited the formation of conjugated diene from low-density lipoprotein oxidized by copper by 30% and 50%, respectively.218 These indole alkaloids inhibited the aggregation of platelets exposed to collagen.219 Harmine and harman inhibited the phosphorylation of phospholipase Cγ2 induced by collagen by 80.5% and 98.3% at 200 µM with concomitant inhibition of intracellular increase calcium.219
Entheogenesis and Entheogenic Employment of Harmal
Published in Ephraim Shmaya Lansky, Shifra Lansky, Helena Maaria Paavilainen, Harmal, 2017
Ephraim Shmaya Lansky, Shifra Lansky, Helena Maaria Paavilainen
Herbs used in a formula are generally complementary to the principal herb, presumably in ways that are, even if presently unknown, physiologically and pharmacologically sensible. In the case of the three putatively complementary to harmal (note: we use the spelling “harmal,” though Flattery and Schwartz employ “harmel”—both of us are referring to the same Peganum harmala), i.e., of Ephedra, Ruta, and Punica, only Ephedra and Punica are really putatively complementary. Ruta is often spoken of in the same breath as Peganum: Ruta is known as “rue,” Peganum harmala as “Syrian rue,” “wild rue” or “mountain rue,” though by no means should the latter imply that P. harmala restricts itself to a mountainous niche. Though both Ruta and Peganum are grossly similar and possibly mistakable—each also having highly odiferous leaves—the real explanation for Ruta is that it is a garden species introduced to the Zoroastrian liturgy much later than Punica or Ephedra and is more of a “counterfeit” Peganum, and one without relevant complementary psychoactive effects. In ancient times, there was no Ruta in the Middle East to be had; it was a much later introduction, probably arriving on board long-distance European vessels.
Putative mechanism for cancer suppression by PLGA nanoparticles loaded with Peganum harmala smoke extract
Published in Journal of Microencapsulation, 2021
Hoda Shabestarian, Masoud Homayouni Tabrizi, Monireh Movahedi, Ali Neamati, Fariba Sharifnia
Nowadays, many traditional medicines are enjoying a wide acceptance by the general public and continue to be used in their original form, including that of smoke. Among these medicinal smokes is the smoke from burning harmala seeds (Moloudizargari et al.2013, Shafiee and Moravej-Salehi 2015). Indigenous to Iran, harmala is a persistent, hairless plant, scientifically known as Peganum harmala from the Zygophyllaceae family (Abbott et al.2008, Marwat and Ur Rehman 2011). The active ingredients of Peganum include alkaloids that accumulate in its seeds and roots. These compounds are beta-carbolines, such as harmaline, harmine, harmalol, harman, and quinazoline, and their derivatives, such as vasicine and deoxyvasicinone (Kartal et al.2003, Passos and Mironidou-Tzouveleki 2016). In terms of temperament, harmala is warm and dry and has various properties characterised as hypnotic, antiperspirant, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory (Lamchouri 2014).
Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel N9-heterobivalent β-carbolines as angiogenesis inhibitors
Published in Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 2019
Liang Guo, Qin Ma, Wei Chen, Wenxi Fan, Jie Zhang, Bin Dai
Peganum harmala L. have been traditionally used for hundreds of years to treat the alimentary tract cancers and malaria in Northwest China. Harmine, originally isolated from the seeds of Peganum harmala L. in 1847, is the most representative natural occurring β-carboline alkaloid, having a common tricyclic pyrido [3,4-b] indole ring structure. In the past several decades, it has confirmed that harmine was the important active ingredients to treat the alimentary tract cancers2,3. Recent reports demonstrated that harmine and its derivatives had remarkable antitumor activities, together with potential neurotoxicity2–5. Moreover, it has been reported that harmine and its derivatives can exert antitumor activities through multiple mechanisms, such as DNA binding6–8, inhibition topoisomerases I and II9,10, CDK (cyclin-dependent kinase)11,12, PLK1 (polo-like kinase)13, lipoxygenase14,15 and IκB kinases16.
Phytochemical composition, toxicity, and repellent effects of medicinal plants Peganum harmala, Pterocarya fraxinifolia, and Tanacetum parthenium extracts against Sitophilus oryzae L.
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2023
Mahmoud Fazeli-Dinan, Seyed Hanif Osia-Laghab, Mina Amini, Ali Davoodi, Seyed Hassan Nikookar, Jamshid Yazdani Charati, Mohammad Azadbakht, Ahmadali Enayati
The phytochemical compounds present in different extracts under study on qualitative basis are shown in Table 1. Peganum harmala showed the presence of most phytochemicals including steroid, terpenoid, alkaloids, tannin, and flavonoid. Steroid, terpenoid, and flavonoid were detected in T. parthenium; and P. fraxinifolia contained flavonoid and tannin. It should be noted that anthraquinone was absent in all plant extracts.