Disease relevance of Coptis

• The antibacterial pharmacodynamics against E. coli of Chinese medicine (CM) Rhizoma coptidis (Coptis Root) and its formula Sanhuang, and the control antibiotics enoxacin, were analyzed by a concentration-killing curve (CKC) approach, and the novel parameters BC50 and r for antibacterial potency were proposed [1].

High impact information on Coptis

• Involvement of CjMDR1, a plant multidrug-resistance-type ATP-binding cassette protein, in alkaloid transport in Coptis japonica [2].
• cDNA clones for the (S)-tetrahydroberberine (H4Ber) oxidase of cultured berberine-producing Coptis japonica cells were isolated by screening a C. japonica cDNA library with synthetic nucleotides that can encode the NH2-terminal sequence of this enzyme [3].
• Molecular cloning and characterization of CYP719, a methylenedioxy bridge-forming enzyme that belongs to a novel P450 family, from cultured Coptis japonica cells [4].
• Two cytochrome P450 (P450) cDNAs involved in the biosynthesis of berberine, an antimicrobial benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, were isolated from cultured Coptis japonica cells and characterized [4].
• Molecular cloning and characterization of coclaurine N-methyltransferase from cultured cells of Coptis japonica [5].

Biological context of Coptis

• Recombinant CNMT was purified to homogeneity, and enzymological characterization confirmed that Coptis CNMT has quite broad substrate specificity, i.e. not only for 6-O-methylnorlaudanosoline and norreticuline but also for 6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline [5].
• The ethanol extract (0.01%) of Angelica dahurica markedly suppressed neutrophil chemotaxis, comparable to the effect of erythromycin (0.01%), whereas a strong antilipogenic effect was obtained with rhizoma coptidis (Coptis chinensis) extract (0.01%), leading to a higher efficacy than that of retinoic acid (0.01%) [6].

Anatomical context of Coptis

• The effects of protoberberine alkaloids from Coptis japonica Makino (COPT) on catecholamine content and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in PC12 cells were investigated [7].
• Here we report the transient RNAi of endogenous biosynthetic genes involved in isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in Coptis japonica protoplasts [8].

Associations of Coptis with chemical compounds

• Molecular characterization of the S-adenosyl-L-methionine:3'-hydroxy-N-methylcoclaurine 4'-O-methyltransferase involved in isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in Coptis japonica [9].
• Three protoberberine alkaloids jatrorrhizine, berberine and palmatine were isolated from the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory fraction of the methanol extract of Coptis chinensis rhizoma [10].
• Purification and characterization of S-adenosyl-L-methionine: norcoclaurine 6-O-methyltransferase from cultured Coptis japonica cells [11].
• Baicalein, berberine, curcumin and hesperidin are the major components derived from Scutellaria baicalensis, Coptis japonica, Curcuma longa and Poncirus trifoliata, respectively [12].
• The vanadate-induced nucleotide trapping technique, which has been conventionally used to characterize mammalian ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins, was applied to berberine-producing plant cell cultures, Thalictrum minus and Coptis japonica [13].

Gene context of Coptis

• Inhibitors of DNA topoisomerase I and II isolated from the Coptis rhizomes [14].
• Rat lens aldose reductase inhibitory activities of Coptis japonica root-derived isoquinoline alkaloids [15].
• The Coptis rhizome extract inhibited the progression of VSMC arrested at G(0)/G(1) phase from G(0)/G(1) to S phase, but not that of 3Y1 cells [16].
• The results are first report that the lignans isolated from Coptis japonica inhibit TNF-alpha production, and suggest that the lignan components may partly participate in antiinflammatory and antiallergic effect of Coptis japonica through the inhibition of TNF-alpha production [17].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Coptis

• The anti-feeding activity of 3 isoquinoline alkaloids identified from roots of Coptis japonica Makino toward 4th-instar larvae of Hyphantria cunea Drury and adults of Agelastica coerulea Baly was examined using the leaf-dipping bioassay [18].

References