Guvacine is an pyridine
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 ...
in
areca nut
''Areca'' is a genus of 51 species of palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from the islands of the Philippines, Malaysia and India, across Southeast Asia to Melanesia. The generic name ''Areca'' is derived from a name ...
s.
It is the ''N''-
demethylated Demethylation is the chemical process resulting in the removal of a methyl group (CH3) from a molecule. A common way of demethylation is the replacement of a methyl group by a hydrogen atom, resulting in a net loss of one carbon and two hydrogen ato ...
derivative
In mathematics, the derivative of a function of a real variable measures the sensitivity to change of the function value (output value) with respect to a change in its argument (input value). Derivatives are a fundamental tool of calculus. F ...
of
arecaidine
Arecaidine is a bio-active alkaloid in areca nuts. It is a competitive GABA uptake inhibitor. Lime is said to hydrolyse arecoline
Arecoline () is a nicotinic acid-based mild parasympathomimetic stimulant alkaloid found in the areca nut, the f ...
and the product of
ester hydrolysis
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides are fa ...
of
guvacoline
Guvacoline is a compound with the chemical formula C7H11NO2. It is a component of Areca nut and a precursor of guvacine. It agonizes musacarinic receptors just like arecoline but unlike arecoline it lacks nicotinic activity.
See also
*Guvacine
* ...
, both of which are also found in areca nuts as well. It is also an inhibitor of
gamma-aminobutyric acid uptake. Lime is said to hydrolyse
guvacoline
Guvacoline is a compound with the chemical formula C7H11NO2. It is a component of Areca nut and a precursor of guvacine. It agonizes musacarinic receptors just like arecoline but unlike arecoline it lacks nicotinic activity.
See also
*Guvacine
* ...
to guvacine.
References
{{GABA metabolism and transport modulators
Alkaloids
Carboxylic acids
GABA reuptake inhibitors