RESUMO
Comprehensive LC-MS and MS/MS analysis of the crude venom extract from the solitary eumenine wasp Eumenes micado revealed the component profile of this venom mostly consisted of small peptides. The major peptide components, eumenine mastoparan-EM1 (EMP-EM1: LKLMGIVKKVLGAL-NH2) and eumenine mastoparan-EM2 (EMP-EM2: LKLLGIVKKVLGAI-NH2), were purified and characterized by the conventional method. The sequences of these new peptides are homologous to mastoparans, the mast cell degranulating peptides from social wasp venoms; they are 14 amino acid residues in length, rich in hydrophobic and basic amino acids, and C-terminal amidated. Accordingly, these new peptides can belong to mastoparan peptides (in other words, linear cationic a-helical peptides). Indeed, the CD spectra of these new peptides showed predominantly a-helix conformation in TFE and SDS. In biological evaluation, both peptides exhibited potent antibacterial activity, moderate degranulation activity from rat peritoneal mast cells, and significant leishmanicidal activity, while they showed virtually no hemolytic activity on human or mouse erythrocytes. These results indicated that EMP-EM peptides rather strongly associated with bacterial cell membranes rather than mammalian cell membranes
RESUMO
"Hierba santa," a Peruvian herbal medicine, is used to alleviate many symptoms, including headache, hemorrhoids, fever, and rheumatism. Several Cestrum species are said to be the origin of hierba santa. Three lots of hierba santa: Cestrum auriculatum (herb 1 and herb 2) and C. hediundinum (herb 3), which were purchased from Peruvian markets at Cuzco (Andes area) and Equitos (Amazon area), respectively, were examined for their pharmacological activities and active components. Herbs 1-3 showed anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in the in vivo writhing inhibition test in mouse and inhibited prostaglandin E(1)-, E(2)-, or ACh-induced contractions of guinea pig ileum in the Magnus method. Activity-based separation of each extract yielded cestrumines A and B, cestrusides A and B, a mixture of (+)- and (-)-pinoresinol glucosides, nicotiflorin, rutin, sinapoyl glucose, ursolic acid, beta-sitosteryl glucoside, and 2-sec-butyl-4,6-dihydroxyphenyl-beta-D: -glucopyranoside. Among them, cestrumine A and cestrusides A and B are new compounds. All three lots of hierba santa do not contain exactly the same active components.
Assuntos
Analgésicos/farmacologia , Anti-Inflamatórios/farmacologia , Cestrum/química , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologia , Analgésicos/isolamento & purificação , Animais , Anti-Inflamatórios/isolamento & purificação , Cobaias , Íleo/efeitos dos fármacos , Íleo/metabolismo , Inflamação/tratamento farmacológico , Masculino , Medicina Tradicional , Camundongos , Contração Muscular/efeitos dos fármacos , Dor/tratamento farmacológico , Medição da Dor , PeruRESUMO
A novel peptide, decoralin, was isolated from the venom of the solitary eumenine wasp Oreumenes decoratus. Its sequence, Ser-Leu-Leu-Ser-Leu-Ile-Arg-Lys-Leu-Ile-Thr, was determined by Edman degradation and corroborated by solid-phase synthesis. This sequence has the characteristic features of linear cationic alpha-helical peptides; rich in hydrophobic and basic amino acids with no disulfide bond, and accordingly, it can be predicted to adopt an amphipathic alpha-helix secondary structure. In fact, the CD spectra of decoralin in the presence of TFE or SDS showed a high alpha-helical conformation content. In a biological evaluation, decoralin exhibited a significant broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, and moderate mast cell degranulation and leishmanicidal activities, but showed virtually no hemolytic activity. A synthetic analog with C-terminal amidation showed a much more potent activity in all the biological assays.
Assuntos
Oligopeptídeos/química , Oligopeptídeos/isolamento & purificação , Venenos de Vespas/química , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/química , Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/genética , Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/isolamento & purificação , Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/farmacologia , Bactérias/efeitos dos fármacos , Degranulação Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Dicroísmo Circular , Hemólise/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Técnicas In Vitro , Mastócitos/efeitos dos fármacos , Mastócitos/fisiologia , Camundongos , Oligopeptídeos/genética , Oligopeptídeos/farmacologia , Estrutura Secundária de Proteína , Ratos , Venenos de Vespas/genética , Venenos de Vespas/farmacologia , Vespas/química , Vespas/genéticaRESUMO
A novel peptide, decoralin, was isolated from the venom of the solitary eumenine wasp Oreumenes decoratus. Its sequence, Ser-Leu-Leu-Ser-Leu-Ile-Arg-Lys-Leu-Ile-Thr, was determined by Edman degradation and corroborated by solid-phase synthesis. This sequence has the characteristic features of linear cationic á-helical peptides; rich in hydrophobic and basic amino acids with no disulfide bond, and accordingly, it can be predicted to adopt an amphipathic á-helix secondary structure. In fact, the CD spectra of decoralin in the presence of TFE or SDS showed a high á-helical conformation content. In a biological evaluation, decoralin exhibited a significant broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, and moderate mast cell degranulation and leishmanicidal activities, but showed virtually no hemolytic activity. A synthetic analog with C-terminal amidation showed a much more potent activity in all the biological assays.