Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors have lately gained interest as potential drugs in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Three AChE inhibitors were isolated from tubers of a Thai medicinal plant, Stephania venosa (Bl) Spreng. They were identified as quaternary protoberberine alkaloids, stepharanine, cyclanoline and N-methyl stepholidine. They expressed inhibitory activity on AChE with IC50 values (concentration that caused 50% inhibition of activity) of 14.1K ± 0.81, 9.23 ± 3.47 and 31.30 ± 3.67 μM, respectively. The AChE inhibitory activity of these compounds was compared with those of the related compounds, palmatine, jatrorrhizine and berberine, as well as tertiary protoberberine alkaloids isolated from the same plant, stepholidine and corydalmine. The results suggest that the positive charge at the nitrogen of the tetrahydroisoquinoline portion, steric substitution at the nitrogen, planarity of the molecule or substitutions at C-2, −3, −9, and −10 affect the AChE inhibitory activity of protoberberine alkaloids.

The structures of ketanserin (1) and spiperone (2) were examined in detail to determine the role of various substituent groups on 5-HT2A receptor affinity and selectivity. It was found that the presence of the quinazoline ring of ketanserin detracts from selectivity and that various ring-opened analogs displayed ketanserin-like affinity and up to 30-fold enhanced selectivity. The triazaspirodecanone portion of spiperone is a major determinant of its 5-HT2A affinity and selectivity. The conformational rigidity imposed by the ring, as well as the nature of the N1-substituent, are important factors in controlling binding at 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, 5-HT1A, and dopamine D2 receptors. Replacement of the N1-phenyl ring of spiperone with a methyl group (KML-010 48) resulted in a compound that binds at 5-HT2A receptors with slightly lower affinity than spiperone, but that lacked affinity (Ki > 10,000 nM) for 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A receptors and binds with 400-fold reduced affinity at D2 receptors.

Piperine, an amide isolated from Piper species (Piperaceae), has been reported to exhibit central nervous system depression, anti-pyretic and anti-inflammatory activity. Immunomodulatory and anti-tumor activity of piperine has been demonstrated in mouse carcinomas. However, there is little information available concerning the effect of piperine on humans. We evaluated the immunopharmacological activity of this compound in human immune cells. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were exposed to piperine, and cell proliferation was determined by the MTS assay. Piperine significantly inhibited phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human PBMC proliferation after exposure for 72 h. This compound inhibited PBMC activity, with an IC(50) of 100.73 ± 11.16 μg/mL. Production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was measured using an ELISA assay and RT-PCR. Piperine inhibited IL-2 and IFN-γ production in the PBMCs. RT-PCR data indicated that IL-2 and IFN-γ mRNA expression in PBMCs is suppressed by piperine. This compound significantly inhibited the production of these two cytokines by activated PBMCs in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, piperine appears to have potential as an immunomodulatory agent for immune system suppression.