Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Alkaloids from Peganum harmala attenuated contractile responses of vascular smooth muscle cells

Mohamed K Al-Essa¹ , Eman Alefishat^2-4, Sawsan AbuHamdah⁴, Mohammed H Al-Muhtaseb¹, Darwish H Badran¹, Mhd Tareq Wahbi¹, Rima Altaweel¹, Amjad t Shatarat¹

¹School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan; ²College of Medicine and Health Science, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; ³Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; ⁴School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan; ⁵College of Pharmacy, Al-Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab of Emirates.

For correspondence:- Mohamed Al-Essa Email: malessa@ju.edu.jo Tel:+9625355000 ext 234

Accepted: 6 October 2023 Published: 31 October 2023

Citation: Al-Essa MK, Alefishat E, AbuHamdah S, Al-Muhtaseb MH, Badran DH, Wahbi M, et al. Alkaloids from Peganum harmala attenuated contractile responses of vascular smooth muscle cells. Trop J Pharm Res 2023; 22(10):2111-2117 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v22i10.12

© 2023 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the contractile responses of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to spasmogens after incubation with harmaline, harmine, and harmalol, which are alkaloids obtained from Peganum harmala L., a member of the Zygophyllaceae family.

Methods: Contractile responses of VSMCs to norepinephrine (NE; 1 µmol/L) and potassium chloride (KCl; 60 mmol/L) were recorded in rat aortic ring preparations pre-incubated with 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 µmol/L of each alkaloid for 15 min. Responses were expressed as mean values of contractions in incubated preparations, relative to the recorded tension prior to treatment with alkaloids.

Results: Pre-incubation with harmaline at concentration of 10 µmol/L significantly reduced contractile responses to NE by 69.0 ± 3.0 % (p < 0.00002), and decreased KCl-induced contraction by 34.0 ± 9.0 % (p < 0.05). Harmalol was the most effective in inhibiting contractions to KCl (48.0 ± 9.0 %, p < 0.01). However, harmalol produced relatively moderate inhibitory effects on NE-induced contractions (46.0 ± 4.0 %, p < 0.005), followed by harmine (52.0 ± 8.0 %, p < 0.02), but it did not significantly affect contractile responses to KCl.

Conclusion: These results highlight the differential effects of pre-incubation with alkaloids from P. harmala and their potential effects on the prevention of VSMC spasms induced by either chemicals or stimuli that change the membrane potential.

Keywords: P. harmala, Harmaline, Harmalol, Harmine, Alkaloids, Vascular smooth muscle cells, Contractile response