Antitrypanosomal alkaloids from Polyalthia suaveolens (Annonaceae): their effects on three selected glycolytic enzymes of Trypanosoma brucei.

In continuation of our study on medicinal plants of Cameroon, stem barks of Polyalthia suaveolens were phytochemically studied. This investigation yielded a new indolosesquiterpene alkaloid, named polysin (1) and four hitherto known alkaloids (2-5). Polysin (1) appeared as a competitive reversible inhibitor (K(i)=10 microM) of phosphofructo kinase (PFK) of Trypanosoma brucei with respect to fructose-6-phosphate (K(i)/K(M)=0.05) and could be used in the design of new trypanocidal drugs. The other isolated compounds (2-5) also exhibited interesting inhibitory effects on selected glycolytic enzymes (PFK, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and aldolase).