Alkaloids and acetogenins in Annonaceae development: biological considerations

Abstract

-Chemical studies of the plant family Annonaceae have intensified in the last several decades due to the discovery of annonaceous molecules with medicinal potential (e.g., benzylisoquinoline alkaloids and acetogenins). Approximately 500 alkaloids have been identified in 138 Annonaceae species in 43 genera. In addition, until 2004, 593 annonaceous acetogenins (ACGs) had been identified, from 51 species in 13 genera.This suggests that plants from this family allocate important resources to the biosynthesis of these compounds. Despite the diversity of these molecules, their biological roles, including their physiological and/ or ecological functions, are not well understood. In this study, it was provided new data describing the variety and distribution of certain alkaloids and ACGs in annonaceous plants in distinct stages of development. The potential relationships among some of these compounds and the seasonally climatic changes occurring in the plant habitat are also discussed. These data will improve our understanding of the secondary metabolism of these pharmacologically important molecules and their expression patterns during development, which will help to determine the optimal growth conditions and harvest times for their production. Index terms: early development, secondary metabolism, ecological functions, phenology. ALCALOIDES E ACETOGENINAS NO DESENVOLVIMENTO DE ANNONACEAE: CONSIDERAÇÕES BIOLÓGICASRESUMO -Estudos químicos em plantas da família Annonaceae se intensificaram nas últimas décadas, devido à descoberta de moléculas de anonáceas com potencial medicinal (por exemplo, alcalóides benzilisoquinolina e acetogeninas). Aproximadamente 500 alcaloides têm sido identificados em 138 espécies de Annonaceae em 43 gêneros. Além disso, até 2004, 593 acetogeninas de annonaceas (ACGs) foram identificados, a partir de 51 espécies em 13 gêneros. Isto sugere que as plantas desta família atribuem recursos importantes para a biossíntese destes compostos. Apesar da diversidade destas moléculas, suas funções biológicas, incluindo as suas funções fisiológicas e/ou ecológicas, não são bem compreendidas. Neste estudo, foram fornecidos novos dados que descrevem a variedade e a distribuição de certos alcaloides e ACGs em annonaceas em fases distintas de desenvolvimento. As possíveis relações entre alguns destes compostos e as alterações climáticas sazonais ocorrendo no habitat são também discutidas. Estes dados vão melhorar a nossa compreensão do metabolismo secundário dessas moléculas farmacologicamente importantes e seus padrões de expressão durante o desenvolvimento, o que ajudará a determinar as condições ideais de crescimento e épocas de colheita para a sua produção. Termos para indexação: desenvolvimento inicial, metabolismo secundário, funções ecológicas, fenologia.

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Total Acetogenins from the Soursop Fruit by Response Surface Methodology

“…Although the role of acetogenins for the plant is not entirely known, their toxicity against arthropods or insects suggests that they constitute forms of chemical defense for all parts of the plant [4,27]. It was demonstrated that ACGs are biosynthesized during the organogenesis of the seeds, and it is suggested that ACGs can be used as antimicrobials or toxic compounds for animals, implying an early defense mechanism against phytopathogens or predators as a survival strategy in this species [28].…”

Annonaceae: Breaking the Wall of Inflammation

“…Phytochemical studies of this family have reported the presence of alkaloid (Malebo et al, 2013 ; Kouam et al, 2014 ; Soares et al, 2015 ), cyclopeptides (Wu P. et al, 2014 ; Moghadamtousi et al, 2015 ), flavonoids (Lage et al, 2014 ; Chokchaisiri et al, 2015 ), terpenoids (Annan et al, 2013 ; Rabelo et al, 2016 ), and lignans (Moreira et al, 2013 ; Nguyen et al, 2015 ; Rayanil et al, 2016 ). Several bioactivities including antimalarial (Frausin et al, 2014 ; Meira et al, 2015 ), antiplatelet, (Thang et al, 2013a ; González-Esquinca et al, 2014 ), and anti-inflammatory activity (Kandimalla et al, 2016 ) are just to name a few. Cytotoxicity of Annonaceous acetogenins has made this family of major interest for novel anti-cancer drugs (Han et al, 2015 ; Yang et al, 2015 ).…”

Phenological strategies of Annona from deciduous forest of Chiapas, Mexico

“…However, A. macroprophyllata and A. purpurea had flowers at the end of the dry season and towards the beginning of the rainy season and began fruiting at the end of the rains. Their seeds likely remain dormant for at least six months or until the next rainy season starts (González-Esquinca et al 2014).…”