Bioactivity of methyl palmitate obtained from a mangroove plant Salvadora persica L

Abstract

The invention discloses a process of extracting, fractionating and purifying bioactive molecules from an associated mangrove plant, methods of screening for pharmacological activities of crude extract, its fractions and purified compounds and use of methyl palmitate obtained from the crude extract as a muscurine antagonist.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a novel muscurine antagonist obtained from an associated mangrove plant called Salvadora persica Linneaus 1753 collected from estuarine mangrove swamps of Goa, India. Particularly, the present invention relates to the use of methyl palmitate isolated from the plant Salvadora persica as a muscurine antagonist.[0002] Methyl palmitate is a fatty acid methyl ester. It is prepared commercially from naturally occurring edible fats and oils. These compounds are widely used indirectly in a wide range of food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial applications (Pearson, R. Report of the FAME (Fatty acid Methyl Esters) Task Force, Jan. 9, 1997). In the same report methyl esters including methyl palmitate, tested for oral toxicity in rats is given. It was proved to be nontoxic. It is also described that administration of an emulsion of methyl palmitate to mice by oral intubation or intraperitoneal injection produced no alteration in organ weight or pha...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0074] The invention pertains to a new muscarinic antagonist purified from a novel source of an associated mangrove plant.[0075] This invention can be utilized for adopting the methods of pharmacological screening of bioactive molecules for antimuscarinic activity both in vivo and in vitro experiments. The comparative effect of methyl palmitate and atropine on M.sub.1, M.sub.2, and M.sub.3 receptors discloses the inhibitory effect of methyl palmitate on M.sub.1 and M.sub.3 whereas atropine has inhibitory effect on all the three receptors.[0076] The present invention also contemplates that the compound methyl palmitate had no such effect in the dosage range used showing that it probably does not block M.sub.2 receptors.[0077] This ability of the methyl palmitate in distinguishing muscarinic receptors can have a wider applied aspect in making pharmaceutical compositions for clincal testing of selective tissue remedies.[0078] Thus in a preferred mode of use the finding that the methyl palmitate produces a shift to the right in the dose response curves of acetylcholine with the maximal response curves of acetyl choline remaining the same.[0079] The present invention also contemplates the finding that the antagonism is competitive as shown by the said compound. Methyl palmitate blocks M.sub.3 receptors in the same way as atropine, though it is 2.2 times less potent.[0080] The selectivity and lower potency characteristic of a compound together can make a good combination in testing compositions to have an added advantage of overcoming side effects on unrelated tissues / organs.[0081] In a preferred mode of use the compound methyl palmitate can be a potential inhibitor of gastric acidity and gastrointestinal disorders. The percent inhibition of gastric acidity was directly proportional to the dose of the said compound.

Problems solved by technology

There is no patent available on the antimuscarinic activity of methyl palmitate.

However, in the studies conducted, it was 50 times less potent than the standard antagonist atropine. M.sub.2 muscarinic receptors found in the conducting tissue and the myocardium of the heart mediate both the bradycardia and the negative inotropic effect of cholinergic stimulation.

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