Coclaurine is a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid that has been found in T. quinquenervia and has nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) inhibitory and insecticidal activities.1,2 It inhibits ACh-induced currents in Xenopus oocytes expressing human α4β2 or α4β4 subunit-containing nAChRs (IC50s = 49 and 18 ?M, respectively).1 Coclaurine induces mortality in D. melanogaster and C. pomonella larvae (LD50s = 78.2 and 35.4 ?g/ml, respectively).2
1.Exley, R., Iturriaga-Vásquez, P., Lukas, R.J., et al.Evaluation of benzyltetrahydroisoquinolines as ligands for neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptorsBr. J. Pharmacol.146(1)15-24(2005) 2.Quiroz-Carre?o, S., Pastene-Navarrete, E., Espinoza-Pinochet, C., et al.Assessment of insecticidal activity of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids from Chilean Rhamnaceae plants against fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster and the lepidopteran crop pest Cydia pomonellaMolecules25(21)5094(2020)