Free radical scavenging activity and lipoxygenase inhibition of Mahonia aquifolium extract and isoquinoline alkaloids

Lucia Rackova¹ , Marek Oblozinsky² , Daniela Kostalova³ , Viktor Kettmann⁴ and Lydia Bezakova³

¹Institute of Experimental Pharmacology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-841 04, Bratislava, Slovakia

²Department of Cell and Molecular Biology of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Odbojárov 10, SK-83232, Bratislava, Slovakia

³Department of Pharmacognosy and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Odbojárov 10, SK-83232, Bratislava, Slovakia

⁴Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Nuclear Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Odbojárov 10, SK-83232, Bratislava, Slovakia

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Journal of Inflammation 2007, 4:15doi:10.1186/1476-9255-4-15


Published:	16 July 2007

Abstract

Roots and stem-bark of Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape) (Berberidaceae) are effectively used in the treatment of skin inflammatory conditions.

In the present study, the effect of Mahonia aquifolium crude extract and its two representative alkaloid fractions containing protoberberine and bisbenzylisoquinoline (BBIQ) alkaloids on activity of 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX), was studied. The reactivity with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), a free stable radical, was evaluated to elucidate the rate of possible lipid-derived radical scavenging in the mechanism of the enzyme inhibition.

The results indicate that although the direct radical scavenging mechanism cannot be ruled out in the lipoxygenase inhibition by Mahonia aquifolium and its constituents, other mechanisms based on specific interaction between enzyme and alkaloids could play the critical role in the lipoxygenase inhibition rather than non-specific reactivity with free radicals.