Vincamine, a safe natural alkaloid, represents a novel anticancer agent.

Vincamine, a well-known plant alkaloid, has been used as a dietary supplement and as a peripheral vasodilator to combat aging in humans. In this study, for the very first time, we demonstrated that vincamine can function as an anticancer agent in a human alveolar basal epithelial cell line A549 (IC50 = 309.7 µM). The anticancer potential of vincamine in A549 cells was assessed by molecular assays to determine cell viability, generation of intracellular ROS, nuclear condensation, caspase-3 activity and inhibition, and change in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). In silico studies predicted that the anti-proliferative potential of vincamine is enhanced by its interaction with the apoptotic protein caspase-3, and that this interaction is driven by two hydrogen bonds and has a high free energy of binding (-5.64 kcal/mol) with an estimated association constant (Ka) of 73.67 µM. We found that vincamine stimulated caspase-3-dependent apoptosis and lowered mitochondrial membrane potential, which ultimately led to cytochrome C release. Vincamine was also found to quench hydroxyl free radicals and deplete iron ions in cancer cells. As a dietary supplement, vincamine is almost non-toxic in BEAS-2B and 3T3-L1 cells. Therefore, we propose that vincamine represents a safe anticancer agent in lung cancer cells. Its role in other cancers has yet to be explored.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of vincamine derivatives as potential pancreatic ß-cells protective agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

A series of vincamine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated as pancreatic ß-cells protective agents for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Most of the compounds displayed potent pancreatic ß-cells protective activities and five derivatives were found to exhibit 20-50-fold higher activities than vincamine. Especially for compounds Vin-C01 and Vin-F03, exhibited a remarkable EC50 value of 0.22 µM and 0.27 µM, respectively. Their pancreatic ß-cells protective activities increased approximately 2 times than vincamine. In cell viability assay, compounds Vin-C01 and Vin-F03 could effectively promote ß-cell survival and protect ß-cells from STZ-induced apoptosis. Further cellular mechanism of action studies demonstrated that their potent ß-cells protective activities were achieved by regulating IRS2/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The present study evidently showed that compounds Vin-C01 and Vin-F03 were two more potent pancreatic ß-cells protective agents compared to vincamine and might serve as promising lead candidates for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Treatment of Vinca minor Leaves with Methyl Jasmonate Extensively Alters the Pattern and Composition of Indole Alkaloids.

Alkaloids extracted from mature Vinca minor leaves were fractionated by preparative HPLC. By means of HRMS and NMR data, the main alkaloids were identified as vincamine, strictamine, 10-hydroxycathofoline, and vincadifformine. Upon treatment with methyl jasmonate (MeJA), the pattern and composition of the indole alkaloids changed extensively. While 10-hydroxycathofoline and strictamine concentrations remained unaltered, vincamine and vincadifformine levels showed a dramatic reduction. Upon MeJA treatment, four other indole alkaloids were detected in high quantities. Three of these alkaloids have been identified as minovincinine, minovincine, and 9-methoxyvincamine. Whereas minovincinine and minovincine are known to occur in trace amounts in V. minor, 9-methoxyvincamine represents a novel natural product. Based on the high similarities of vincamine and 9-methoxyvincamine and their inverse changes in concentrations, it is postulated that vincamine is a precursor of 9-methoxyvincamine. Similarly, vincadifformine seems to be converted first to minovincinine and finally to minovincine. Because MeJA treatment greatly altered the alkaloidal composition of V. minor, it could be used as a potential elicitor of alkaloids that are not produced under normal conditions.

Application of π acceptors to the spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric determination of vincamine and naftidrofuryl oxalate in their pharmaceutical preparations.

Three different spectrophotometric and two spectrofluorimetric methods have been developed and validated for the determination of vincamine (VN) and naftidrofuryl oxalate (NF) in tablets. The spectrophotometric methods depend on charge transfer complex formation between each of VN and NF with 7,7,8,8-tetracyano-quinodimethane (TCNQ), 2,6-dichloroquinone-4-chloroimide (DCQ) and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) at 843, 580 and 588 nm, respectively. The spectrofluorimetric methods are based on the formation of charge transfer complex between each of the two drugs and TCNQ, with measurement of the fluorophore formed at 312/375 and 284/612 nm, respectively, or with DDQ at 400/475 and 284/396 nm, respectively. In the spectrophotometric measurements, Beer's law was obeyed at concentration ranges of 1.5-16, 10-180 and 12-140 µg/ml for VN with TCNQ, DCQ, and DDQ, respectively. For NF, the corresponding concentrations were 2-28, 5-75 and 25-150 µg/ml with TCNQ, DCQ, and DDQ, respectively. In the spectrofluorimetric measurements, the ranges for VN were 0.05-0.9 and 0.3-4 µg/ml with TCNQ and DDQ, respectively, whereas for NF the ranges were 0.05-0.85 and 0.5-8 µg/ml with TCNQ and DDQ, respectively. The different experimental parameters affecting the development and stability of the formed color or fluorophore were studied and optimized and the molar ratios of the complexes were calculated. The proposed methods were validated according to ICH guidelines and were successfully applied for the determination of VN and NF in their tablet dosage forms.

Stereoselective synthesis of (-)-desethyleburnamonine, (-)-vindeburnol and (-)-3-epitacamonine: observation of a substrate dependent diastereoselectivity reversal of an aldol reaction.

Starting from (-)-acetoxyglutarimide, the enantioselective multistep synthesis of (-)-desethyleburnamonine, (-)-vindeburnol and (-)-3-epitacamonine has been demonstrated via a common hydroxyl-lactam intermediate with very good overall yields. The acetoxy function from (-)-acetoxyglutarimide was initially used as a handle to induce enantioselectivity and then as a latent source of the ketone carbonyl group. Most importantly, substrate dependent reversal of the diastereoselectivity in ester aldol reactions of hexahydroindolo[2,3-a]quinolizinones has been reported.

Stability-Indicating TLC-Densitometric and HPLC Methods for the Simultaneous Determination of Piracetam and Vincamine in the Presence of Their Degradation Products.

Newly established TLC-densitometric and RP-HPLC methods were developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of Piracetam (PIR) and Vincamine (VINC) in their pharmaceutical formulation and in the presence of PIR and VINC degradation products, PD and VD, respectively. The proposed TLC-densitometric method is based on the separation and quantitation of the studied components using a developing system that consists of chloroform-methanol-glacial acetic acid-triethylamine (8 + 2 + 0.1 + 0.1, v/v/v/v) on TLC silica gel 60 F254 plates, followed by densitometric scanning at 230 nm. On the other hand, the developed RP-HPLC method is based on the separation of the studied components using an isocratic elution of 0.05 M KH2PO4 (containing 0.1% triethylamine adjusted to pH 3 with orthophosphoric acid)-methanol (95 + 5, v/v) on a C8 column at a flow rate of 1 mL/min with diode-array detection at 230 nm. The developed methods were validated according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines and demonstrated good accuracy and precision. Moreover, the developed TLC-densitometric and RP-HPLC methods are suitable as stability-indicating assay methods for the simultaneous determination of PD and VD either in bulk powder or pharmaceutical formulation. The results were statistically compared with those obtained by the reported RP-HPLC method using t- and F-tests.

Ibogan, Aspidosperman, Vincamine, and Bisindole Alkaloids from a Malayan Tabernaemontana corymbosa: Iboga Alkaloids with C-20α Substitution.

Ten new indole alkaloids (1-10) comprising five ibogan, two aspidosperman, one vincamine, and two bisindole alkaloids, in addition to 32 known alkaloids, were isolated from the stem-bark extract of a Malayan Tabernaemontana corymbosa. The structures of these alkaloids were determined based on analysis of the NMR and MS data and, in five instances (1, 3, 5, 6, 8), confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Two of the iboga alkaloids, conodusines B (2) and C (3), and the iboga-containing bisindole tabernamidine B (10) are notable for the presence of an α-substituted acetyl group at C-20 of the iboga carbon skeleton. The iboga alkaloid (+)-conodusine E (5) had MS and NMR data that were identical to those of (-)-ervatamine I, recently isolated from Ervatamia hainanensis. Establishment of the absolute configuration of (+)-conodusine E (5) was based on analysis of the ECD data, correlation with (-)-heyneanine, and X-ray analysis, which showed that (+)-5 belongs to the same enantiomeric series as exemplified by (-)-coronaridine. The configuration at C-20' of the previously reported Tabernaemontana bisindole alkaloid 19'-oxotabernamine (renamed tabernamidine B) required revision based on the present results. Several of the bisindoles showed pronounced in vitro growth inhibitory activity against drug-sensitive and vincristine-resistant KB cells.

Determination of terpenoid indole alkaloids in hairy roots of Rhazya stricta (Apocynaceae) by GC-MS.

INTRODUCTION: Rhazya stricta Decne. (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant rich in terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs), some of which possess important pharmacological properties. The study material including transgenic hairy root cultures have been developed and their potential for alkaloid production are being investigated. OBJECTIVE: In this study, a comprehensive GC-MS method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of alkaloids from Rhazya hairy roots was developed. METHODS: The composition of alkaloids was determined by using GC-MS. In quantification, the ratio between alkaloid and internal standard was based on extracted ion from total ion current (TIC) analyses. RESULTS: The developed method was validated. An acceptable precision with RSD ≤ 8% over a linear range of 1 to 100 µg/mL was achieved. The accuracy of the method was within 94-107%. Analysis of hairy root extracts indicated the occurrence of a total of 20 TIAs. Six of them, pleiocarpamine, fluorocarpamine, vincamine, ajmalicine and two yohimbine isomers are reported here for the first time in Rhazya. Trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatisation of the extracts resulted in the separation of two isomers for yohimbine and also for vallesiachotamine. Clearly improved chromatographic profiles of TMS-derivatives were observed for vincanine and for minor compounds vincamine and rhazine. CONCLUSION: The results show that the present GC-MS method is reliable and well applicable for studying the variation of indole alkaloids in Rhazya samples.

Studies on the interaction between vincamine and human serum albumin: a spectroscopic approach.

The interaction between vincamine (VCM) and human serum albumin (HSA) has been studied using a fluorescence quenching technique in combination with UV/vis absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and molecular modeling under conditions similar to human physiological conditions. VCM effectively quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA via static quenching. The binding constants were calculated from the fluorescence data. Thermodynamic analysis by Van't Hoff equation revealed enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS) were -4.57 kJ/mol and 76.26 J/mol/K, respectively, which indicated that the binding process was spontaneous and the hydrophobic interaction was the predominant force. The distance r between the donor (HSA) and acceptor (VCM) was obtained according to the Förster's theory of non-radiative energy transfer and found to be 4.41 nm. Metal ions, viz., Na(+), K(+), Li(+), Ni(2+), Ca(2+), Zn(2+) and Al(3+) were found to influence binding of the drug to protein. The 3D fluorescence, FT-IR and CD spectral results revealed changes in the secondary structure of the protein upon interaction with VCM. Furthermore, molecular modeling indicated that VCM could bind to the subdomain IIA (site I) of HSA.

Synthesis of 15-methylene-eburnamonine from (+)-vincamine, evaluation of anticancer activity, and investigation of mechanism of action by quantitative NMR.

The biological role of installing a critical exocyclic enone into the structure of the alkaloid, (-)-eburnamonine, and characterization of the new chemical reactivity by quantitative NMR without using deuterated solvents are described. This selective modification to a natural product imparts potent anticancer activity as well as bestows chemical reactivity toward nucleophilic thiols, which was measured by quantitative NMR. The synthetic strategy provides an overall conversion of 40%. In the key synthetic step, a modified Peterson olefination was accomplished through the facile release of trifluoroacetate to create the requisite enone in the presence of substantial steric hindrance.

Mechanochemical activation of vincamine mediated by linear polymers: assessment of some "critical" steps.

The aim of the research was to investigate three "critical steps" that deserve particular attention during the mechanochemical activation of vincamine. The first step consisted in the selection of the best polymeric carrier/most affine stabiliser between linear PVP and NaCMC by using the GRID and the GRID based AutoDock software packages which permit to calculate their surface features and interactions. Moreover, the calculation of the partial and total solubility parameters supported the results obtained by GRID and AutoDock software. Then, after the selection of linear PVP-K30 as the suitable carrier, the influence of process and formulation variables on the amorphisation degree and solubility enhancement was studied, to select the most suitable process conditions and formulation parameters. Subsequently, the best performing samples were widely characterised using XRPD, TEM and SSNMR (including the proton relaxation ((1)H T1 NMR) time) techniques. These studies highlighted that all the coground samples were nanocrystalline solid dispersions indicating a dramatic difference between the amorphisation capacities of linear PVP-K30 and cross-linked PVP, used in previous analogous experiences. In particular, (13)C, (15)N and (1)H T1 NMR data point to a description of the system as a dispersion of nanocrystals in the polymer. In these dispersions vincamine is in a disordered crystalline state due to extensive interactions and contacts with PVP-K30 but the main hydrogen bonding motif characterising its packing remains. Again, differently from cross-linked PVP, dissolution studies revealed that linear PVP-K30 was able to promote a complete in vitro solubilisation of vincamine in some coground samples. What is more important, by using a linear polymer, drug-to-polymer and milling time variables appeared less influent on the solid state and in vitro properties of the composites. Finally, stability studies conducted for a period of 1year highlighted the high physical stability of the selected samples.

Rationale of using Vinca minor Linne dry extract phytocomplex as a vincamine's oral bioavailability enhancer.

Vincamine is a poorly soluble potent neuroprotector and cerebral vasodilator, used for the treatment for CNS disorders. In some cases, the bioavailability of pure compounds is strongly influenced by the co-administration of other constituents, and in some cases, the so called 'phytocomplex' may act as enhancer of absorption of selected phytochemicals. In this paper, the oral bioavailability of vincamine when administered as a standardised Vinca minor L. leaf dry extract rather than pure indole alkaloid is demonstrated to be higher. The chosen alkaloid-enriched and standardised dry extract was widely characterised by means of HPLC-MS, PXRD, DSC, XPS, (13)C and (15)N solid-state NMR (SSNMR) using pure vincamine as a matter of comparison. Then, the in vitro dissolution performances of the two products and their in vivo bioavailability in rats were evaluated. The sevenfold improvement in oral bioavailability of the dry extract with respect to the pure vincamine was ascribed to interactions between the indole alkaloid and the corollary of ingredients of the dry extract, giving rise to the protonation of the alkaloid vincamine, thus enhancing its dissolution in physiological fluids. Present data demonstrate that alkaloid vincamine administered as a whole plant extract has a higher bioavailability compared to the pure chemical compound.

Drug salt formation via mechanochemistry: the case study of vincamine.

In the present research a salt of vincamine, a poorly bioavailable indole alkaloid derived from the leaves of Vinca minor L., was synthesized in the solid state by means of a mechanochemical process employing citric acid as a reagent. The mechanochemical process was adopted as a solvent-free alternative to classical citrate synthetic route that involves the use of solvents. Since the mechanochemical salification is little studied to date and presents the disadvantage of offering a low yield, in this work, the influence of three process and formulation variables on the percentage of vincamine citrate was studied. In particular, the time of mechanical treatment (in planetary mill Fritsch P5) and the amount of citric acid were varied in order to evaluate their effect on the yield of the process, and the introduction of a solid solvent, a common pharmaceutical excipient (sodium carboxymethylcellulose, NaCMC), was considered. Due to the complexity of the resulting samples' matrix, an appropriate experimental design was employed to project the experimental trials and the influence of the three variables on the experimental response was estimated with the help of a statistical analysis. The experimental response, that is, the yield of the process corresponding to the percentage of vincamine in the protonated form, was unconventionally calculated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis (XPS). Out of 16 samples, the one with the highest yield was the coground sample containing vincamine and citric acid in a 1:2 molar ratio, treated for 60 min in the presence of NaCMC. Under the above conditions the salification reaction was completed highlighting the importance of a proper selection of process and formulation variables of the mechanochemical salification, and emphasizing the crucial role of the solid solvent in facilitating the salification. The second step of the research encompassed the characterization of the citrate salt obtained by solid excipient assisted mechanochemical salification (SEAMS) in comparison with the vincamine citrate obtained by classical synthetic route. The samples were characterized by, besides XPS, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), in vitro solubilization kinetics and in vivo oral pilot study in rats. Finally, in order to monitor over time possible disproportionation phenomena, stability studies have been performed by repeating XPS analysis after 8 months. As expected, the the SEAMS-vincamine salt consisted of particles both crystalline and amorphous. The solubilization kinetics was superior to the corresponding salt probably thanks to the favorable presence of the hydrophilic excipient although the two salts were bioequivalent in rats after oral administration. Furthermore, no evidence of disporportionation phenomena in the SEAMS-vincamine salt was found after storage. In conclusion, in the case of forming salts of poorly soluble drugs, the SEAMS process may be an interesting alternative to both classical synthetic routes, eliminating the need for solvent removal, and simple neat mechanochemical salification, overcoming the problem of limited process yield.

Mechanochemically induced disordered structures of vincamine: the different mediation of two cross-linked polymers.

The aims of this research were to prepare highly bioavailable binary cogrounds (vincamine-AcDiSol(®) or PVP-Cl) by means of a mechanochemical process and to study the mediation of each polymer in the induction of physical transformations of the drug. From a set of fifteen cogrounds for each crosslinked polymer, two samples were selected in each group on the basis of the AUC of in vitro dissolution profiles with the help of a statistical comparison. The chosen samples were analysed by means of TEM, XRPD, Raman-spectroscopy/imaging, SSNMR, also including the study of (1)H spin-lattice relaxation times. The research encompassed in vivo oral absorption studies in rats, pharmacokinetic analysis and physical stability studies during 1 year. An intimate drug-polymer mixing was found in the coground samples with domain average dimensions smaller than 100 Å; this reflected in a remarkable enhancement of the in vitro and in vivo bioavailability. Different disordered states were detected in the coground samples as a function of cogrinding time and the type and amount of polymer used. Though both crosslinked polymers produced a remarkable enhancement of the oral bioavailability, coground systems based on AcDiSol(®) are preferable in terms of pharmacokinetic performance and physical stability.

Alpneumines A-H, new anti-melanogenic indole alkaloids from Alstonia pneumatophora.

Eight new indole alkaloids, alpneumines A-H (1-8) were isolated from the Malaysian Alstonia pneumatophora (Apocynaceae) and their structures were determined by MS and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods. Alpneumines E and G (5 and 7), vincamine, and apovincamine showed anti-melanogenesis in B16 mouse melanoma cells.

Brain trace element concentration of rats treated with the plant alkaloid, vincamine.

Trace elements are essential for normal brain functions. Tiny amounts of these elements help in the formation of neurotransmitters and involved in the antioxidant defense and intracellular redox regulation and modulation of neural cells. Vincamine is a plant alkaloid used clinically as a peripheral vasodilator that increases cerebral blood flow and oxygen and glucose utilization by neural tissue to combat the effect of aging. Neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging characterized by a disturbance in trace element levels in the brain. The objective of this study was to determine the level of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), Selenium (Se), and chromium (Cr) in the brain of rats treated with vincamine. Vincamine was injected i.m. to rats at a dose of 15 mg/Kg bodyweight daily for 14 days. Twenty-four hours after the last injection, rats were killed, and brains were ashed and digested by concentrated acids and analyzed for trace elements concentrations by flame emission atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results showed that Zn was the highest trace element in the brain of control rats (3.134 +/- 0.072 ppm) and Cr was the lowest (0.386 +/- 0.027 ppm). Vincamine administration significantly (p < 0.01) reduced the brain Fe concentration (1.393 +/- 0.165 ppm) compared to control (2.807 +/- 0.165 ppm). It was concluded that Zn was the highest trace element in the brain of rats. Vincamine administration resulted in approximately 50% reduction in brain Fe concentration which suggests its beneficial effect to prevent the oxidative stress of Fe in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's diseases.

Smart stability-indicating spectrophotometric methods for determination of binary mixtures without prior separation.

Ratio subtraction and isosbestic point methods are 2 innovating spectrophotometric methods used to determine vincamine in the presence of its acid degradation product and a mixture of cinnarizine (CN) and nicergoline (NIC). Linear correlations were obtained in the concentration range from 8-40 microg/mL for vincamine (I), 6-22 microg/mL for CN (II), and 6-36 microg/mL for NIC (III), with mean accuracies 99.72 +/- 0.917% for I, 99.91 +/- 0.703% for II, and 99.58 +/- 0.847 and 99.83 +/- 1.039% for III. The ratio subtraction method was utilized for the analysis of laboratory-prepared mixtures containing different ratios of vincamine and its degradation product, and it was valid in the presence of up to 80% degradation product. CN and NIC in synthetic mixtures were analyzed by the 2 proposed methods with the total content of the mixture determined at their respective isosbestic points of 270.2 and 235.8 nm, and the content of CN was determined by the ratio subtraction method. The proposed method was validated and found to be suitable as a stability-indicating assay method for vincamine in pharmaceutical formulations. The standard addition technique was applied to validate the results and to ensure the specificity of the proposed methods.

Syntheses of vinca alkaloids and related compounds. 104. A concise synthesis of (-)-vincapusine.

beta-Iodo-enamines with an eburnane skeleton (5a and 5c) were obtained with the aid of iodine from compounds 2a and 2c and were then transformed into hydroxyl lactams (6a and 6c) with CuSO4.5H2O in a mixture of DMF and water. Lactams (6a and 6c) were reduced selectively with BH3.SMe2 to result in the first synthesis of (-)-vincapusine (4a) as well as its natural 14-decarbomethoxy analogue (4c).

Lipophilicity of vinpocetine and related compounds characterized by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography.

A reversed-phase thin-layer chromatographic method was developed and applied to quantitate the lipophilicity of sparingly water-soluble eburnane alkaloids of therapeutic interest. Our method development included calibration, optimization and validation procedures, using also sets of auxiliary compounds. The log P(TLC) values of five relatively hydrophilic eburnanes were verified by stir-flask studies. The alkaloids were found to have lipophilicity values in the 2.9-4.8 log P(TLC) range. Conclusions on structure-lipophilicity relationships were drawn in terms of ring anellation, character and length of side chain, conformational preferences and moiety-solvent interactions, also supported by molecular mechanics studies.

Chiral HPLC separation and CD spectra of the enantiomers of the alkaloid tacamonine and related compounds.

The HPLC enantiomeric separation of racemic indole alkaloids tacamonine, 17 alpha-hydroxytacamonine, deethyleburnamonine, and vindeburnol was accomplished using Chiralpak AD and Chiralcel OD as chiral stationary phases. Small structural differences affect the enantioselectivity ability of these phases. Single enantiomers of tacamonine and vindeburnol were isolated by semipreparative HPLC and their CD spectra and optical rotations were measured.