Inhibitory effects of berberine-type alkaloids on elastase.

Berberine-type alkaloids and some structurally related alkaloids were tested for inhibitory activity on porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) and human sputum elastase (HSE). The chlorides of berberine, coptisine, and sanguinarine significantly inhibited the elastolytic activity of both the enzymes, but tetrahydroberberine had no effect on the activity. It seems that the quaternary nitrogen of the alkaloids plays an important role in the inhibition of elastolytic activity. Amidolytic activity of the elastases was not affected by any of the alkaloids tested.