Affinisine is a monoterpenoid indole

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

which can be isolated from plants of the genus ''

Tabernaemontana ''Tabernaemontana'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. It has a pan-tropical distribution, found in Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America, and a wide assortment of oceanic islands. These plants are evergreen ...

''. Structurally, it can be considered a member of the sarpagine alkaloid family and may be synthesized from

tryptophan Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Tryptophan contains an α-amino group, an α- carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with a non-polar aromatic ...

via a Pictet-Spengler reaction.

Pharmacology

Limited pharmacological testing has indicated that affinisine may effectively inhibit

acetylcholinesterase Acetylcholinesterase (HGNC symbol ACHE; EC 3.1.1.7; systematic name acetylcholine acetylhydrolase), also known as AChE, AChase or acetylhydrolase, is the primary cholinesterase in the body. It is an enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that a ...

and butyrylcholinesterase.

References

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors Quinolizidine alkaloids Indoles {{alkaloid-stub

Pharmacology

See also

References