Kukoamine A

Kukoamine A is a spermine alkaloid originally isolated from L. chinense that has diverse biological activities, including anticancer, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties.¹ Kukoamine A (5-20 µg/ml) inhibits colony formation of U251 and WJ1 glioblastoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner.² It halts the cell cycle at the G₀/G₁ phase and induces apoptosis when used at concentrations of 60 and 80 µg/ml. Kukoamine A (20 and 40 µM) induces autophagy and increases cell viability in an SH-SY5Y cell model of MPP-induced injury.³ It increases the number of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra and striatum, decreases α-synuclein expression, and improves motor function in an MPTP mouse model of Parkinson’s disease when administered at a dose of 20 mg/kg per day. Kukoamine A (10 and 20 mg/kg) decreases IL-1β, TNF-α, and COX-2 protein levels in the hippocampus and increases hippocampal neurogenesis in a rat model of radiation injury.⁴ It also selectively inhibits trypanothione reductase (K_i = 1.8 µM), an enzyme that protects certain parasites from oxidative stress, over human glutathione reductase (K_i = >10 mM).⁵

WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.

1. Funayama, S., Yoshida, K., Konno, C., et al. Structure of kukoamine A, a hypotensive principle of Lycium chinense root barks. Tetrahedron Lett. 21(14), 1355-1356 (1980).

2. Wang, Q., Li, H., Sun, Z., et al. Kukoamine A inhibits human glioblastoma cell growth and migration through apoptosis induction and epithelial-mesenchymal transition attenuation. Sci. Rep. 6, 36543 (2016).

3. Hu, X., Song, Q., Li, X., et al. Neuroprotective effects of Kukoamine A on neurotoxin-induced Parkinson’s model through apoptosis inhibition and autophagy enhancement. Neuropharmacology 117, 352-363 (2017).

4. Zhang, Y., Gao, L., Cheng, Z., et al. Kukoamine A prevents radiation-induced neuroinflammation and preserves hippocampal neurogenesis in rats by inhibiting activation of NF-κB and AP-1. Neurotox. Res. 31(2), 259-268 (2017).

5. Ponasik, J.A., Strickland, C., Faerman, C., et al. Kukoamine A and other hydrophobic acylpolyamines: Potent and selective inhibitors of Crithidia fasciculata trypanothione reductase. Biochem. J. 311(Pt 2), 371-375 (1995).