Steroidal Alkaloids from Veratrum nigrum Enhance Glucose Uptake in Skeletal Muscle Cells

J Nat Prod. 2015 Apr 24;78(4):803-10. doi: 10.1021/np501049g. Epub 2015 Apr 2.

Abstract

Veratrum nigrum is recognized as a medicinal plant used for the treatment of hypertension, stroke, and excessive phlegm. Chemical investigation of the roots and rhizomes led to the isolation of five new steroidal alkaloids, jervine-3-yl formate (1), veramarine-3-yl formate (2), jerv-5,11-diene-3β,13β-diol (3), (1β,3β,5β)-1,3-dihydroxyjervanin-12(13)-en-11-one (4), and veratramine-3-yl acetate (5). Compounds 1 and 5 exhibited potent inhibitory activity (11.3 and 4.7 μM, respectively) against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), which has emerged as a viable target for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. On the basis of their PTP1B inhibitory activity, the compounds were evaluated for their potential to enhance glucose uptake in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. The insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was enhanced upon treatment with compounds 1 and 5 (10 μM) by 49.9 ± 6.5% and 56.0 ± 9.7%, respectively, in a more potent manner than that with the positive control rosiglitazone (47.3 ± 3.4% at 30 μM). These results suggest that steroidal alkaloids serve as practical antidiabetes mellitus leads capable of enhancing glucose uptake.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alkaloids / chemistry
  • Alkaloids / isolation & purification*
  • Alkaloids / pharmacology*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / drug therapy
  • Glucose / metabolism*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / chemistry
  • Plants, Medicinal / chemistry*
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 1 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Republic of Korea
  • Rhizome / chemistry
  • Rosiglitazone
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Steroids / chemistry
  • Steroids / isolation & purification*
  • Steroids / pharmacology*
  • Thiazolidinediones / pharmacology
  • Veratrum / chemistry*

Substances

  • Alkaloids
  • Steroids
  • Thiazolidinediones
  • Rosiglitazone
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 1
  • Glucose