{"title":"Sarcococca species: A source of bioactive steroidal alkaloids – A review","authors":"Nguyen Manh Ha , Ninh The Son","doi":"10.1016/j.steroids.2025.109630","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Sarcococca</em> species (the family Buxaceae), containing a large number of steroidal alkaloids, were often used as medicinal plants for treating various ailments, such as fever, pain, and inflammation.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The current study aims to highlight the natural observation and pharmacological actions of <em>Sarcococca</em> steroidal alkaloids and related compounds.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Scientific literature of phytochemical studies and pharmacological examinations of <em>Sarcococca</em> species were collected from four main sources: Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, and journal websites. “<em>Sarcococca</em>” and “steroidal alkaloids” were the primary keywords to search for references. The study covers almost all English publications from the 1960 s to the present. ChemDraw Ultra 12.0 was used to draw chemical structures of phytochemicals.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Phytochemical results indicated that about 170 secondary metabolites have been detected in <em>Sarcococca</em>, of which 144 compounds (84.7%) can be classified as steroidal alkaloids. Other classes included sterols, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and <em>mono</em>-phenols. <em>Sarcococca</em> crude plant extracts, fractions, and their steroidal alkaloid isolates have pharmacological properties, such as cytotoxic, antimicrobial, antioxidative, antiinflammatory, antileishmanial, antiplasmodial, and antidiabetic activities. They were also recorded to protect against harmful conditions to the neurons, liver, and gastrointestinal system, and exert vasorelaxant, analgesic, estrogen biosynthesis, and nematicidal activities. Some steroidal alkaloids are better than the standard drugs to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes. Generally, substituted groups at nitrogenous atoms might be attributed to the differences in pharmacological results.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Advances in chromatographic isolations of steroidal alkaloids to obtain huge amounts are necessary. <em>In vivo</em> biological experiences and clinical testing are encouraged.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21997,"journal":{"name":"Steroids","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 109630"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Steroids","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039128X25000716","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Sarcococca species (the family Buxaceae), containing a large number of steroidal alkaloids, were often used as medicinal plants for treating various ailments, such as fever, pain, and inflammation.
Objective
The current study aims to highlight the natural observation and pharmacological actions of Sarcococca steroidal alkaloids and related compounds.
Methods
Scientific literature of phytochemical studies and pharmacological examinations of Sarcococca species were collected from four main sources: Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, and journal websites. “Sarcococca” and “steroidal alkaloids” were the primary keywords to search for references. The study covers almost all English publications from the 1960 s to the present. ChemDraw Ultra 12.0 was used to draw chemical structures of phytochemicals.
Results
Phytochemical results indicated that about 170 secondary metabolites have been detected in Sarcococca, of which 144 compounds (84.7%) can be classified as steroidal alkaloids. Other classes included sterols, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and mono-phenols. Sarcococca crude plant extracts, fractions, and their steroidal alkaloid isolates have pharmacological properties, such as cytotoxic, antimicrobial, antioxidative, antiinflammatory, antileishmanial, antiplasmodial, and antidiabetic activities. They were also recorded to protect against harmful conditions to the neurons, liver, and gastrointestinal system, and exert vasorelaxant, analgesic, estrogen biosynthesis, and nematicidal activities. Some steroidal alkaloids are better than the standard drugs to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes. Generally, substituted groups at nitrogenous atoms might be attributed to the differences in pharmacological results.
Conclusion
Advances in chromatographic isolations of steroidal alkaloids to obtain huge amounts are necessary. In vivo biological experiences and clinical testing are encouraged.
豆蔻属植物(豆蔻科)含有大量的甾体生物碱,常被用作药用植物,用于治疗各种疾病,如发烧、疼痛和炎症。目的对麻豆甾体生物碱及其相关化合物的天然观察和药理作用进行综述。方法从谷歌Scholar、Web of Science、PubMed和期刊网站4个主要来源收集麻豆属植物化学研究和药理研究的科学文献。“可可”和“甾体生物碱”是检索文献的主要关键词。这项研究涵盖了从20世纪60年代到现在几乎所有的英语出版物。使用ChemDraw Ultra 12.0绘制植物化学物质的化学结构。结果经植物化学鉴定,豆蔻中检出约170种次生代谢物,其中144种(84.7%)可归为甾体类生物碱。其他种类包括甾醇、三萜、类黄酮和单酚类。麻科植物粗提取物、馏分及其分离的甾体生物碱具有药理特性,如细胞毒性、抗菌、抗氧化、抗炎、抗利什曼原虫、抗疟原虫和抗糖尿病活性。它们还被记录为防止对神经元、肝脏和胃肠道系统的有害条件,并发挥血管松弛剂、镇痛剂、雌激素生物合成和杀线虫活性。部分甾体生物碱对乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)和丁基胆碱酯酶(BChE)的抑制作用优于标准药物。一般来说,氮原子上的取代基可归因于药理学结果的差异。结论为了获得大量的甾体生物碱,有必要在色谱分离方面取得进展。鼓励进行体内生物学实验和临床试验。
期刊介绍:
STEROIDS is an international research journal devoted to studies on all chemical and biological aspects of steroidal moieties. The journal focuses on both experimental and theoretical studies on the biology, chemistry, biosynthesis, metabolism, molecular biology, physiology and pharmacology of steroids and other molecules that target or regulate steroid receptors. Manuscripts presenting clinical research related to steroids, steroid drug development, comparative endocrinology of steroid hormones, investigations on the mechanism of steroid action and steroid chemistry are all appropriate for submission for peer review. STEROIDS publishes both original research and timely reviews. For details concerning the preparation of manuscripts see Instructions to Authors, which is published in each issue of the journal.