Deguelin is a derivative of

rotenone Rotenone is an odorless, colorless, crystalline isoflavone used as a broad-spectrum insecticide, piscicide, and pesticide. It occurs naturally in the seeds and stems of several plants, such as the jicama vine plant, and the roots of several mem ...

. Both are compounds classified as

rotenoid Rotenoids are naturally occurring substances containing a cis-fused tetrahydrochromeno ,4-bhromene nucleus. Many have insecticidal activity, such as the prototypical member of the family, rotenone. Rotenoids are related to the isoflavones. Natu ...

s of the flavonoid family and are naturally occurring insecticides. They can be produced by extraction from several plant species belonging to three genera of the legume family, Fabaceae: ''

Lonchocarpus ''Lonchocarpus'' is a plant genus in the legume family ( Fabaceae). The species are called lancepods due to their fruit resembling an ornate lance tip or a few beads on a string. ''Cubé'' resin is produced from the roots of '' L. urucu'' an ...

'', '' Derris'', or ''

Tephrosia ''Tephrosia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is widespread in both the Eastern and Western Hemisphere, where it is found in tropical and warm-temperate regions. The generic name is derived from the Greek word τ ...

''. Cubé resin, the root extract from cubé ('' Lonchocarpus utilis'') and from barbasco ('' Lonchocarpus urucu''), is used as a commercial insecticide and

piscicide A piscicide is a chemical substance which is poisonous to fish. The primary use for piscicides is to eliminate a dominant species of fish in a body of water, as the first step in attempting to populate the body of water with a different fish. They ...

(fish poison). The major active ingredients are

and deguelin. Although "organic" (produced by nature) cubé resin is no longer considered environmentally safe.

Rat pharmacokinetics

* Mean residence time (MRT) = 6.98 h * Terminal half-life (t1/2(gamma)) = 9.26 h * Area under the curve (AUC) = 57.3 ng h/ml * Total clearance (Cl) = 4.37 L/h per kg * Apparent volume of distribution (V) = 3.421 L/kg * Volume of distribution at steady-state (Vss) = 30.46 L/kg * Tissue distributions after i.v. (intravenous) administration: heart > fat > mammary gland > colon > liver > kidney > brain > lung. * Tissue distributions after i.g. (intragastric) administration: perirenal fat > heart > mammary gland > colon > kidney > liver > lung > brain > skin. * Elimination: Within 5 days of i.g. administration, about 58.1% of the Heguelin was eliminated via the feces and 14.4% via the urine. Approximately 1.7% of unchanged deguelin was found in the feces, and 0.4% in the urine.

Deguelin and anti-cancer activity

Deguelin displays anti-cancer activity by inhibiting the growth of pre-cancerous and cancerous cells - particularly for lung cancer. So far the compound has shown no toxic effects on normal cells. However, high doses of deguelin are suspected of having negative effects on the heart, lungs and nerves. The molecular mechanisms include the induction of apoptosis, mediated through AKT/PKB signaling pathways in malignant and premalignant human bronchial epithelia (HBE) cells, with only minimal effects on normal HBE cells. Deguelin inhibits AKT by both Phosphoinositol-3-phosphate kinase (PI3K)-dependent and PI3K-independent pathways.

Deguelin and Parkinson's disease

Research has shown a correlation between intravenous deguelin and

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

in rats. The study does not suggest that deguelin exposure is responsible for Parkinson's disease in humans, but is consistent with the belief that chronic exposure to environmental toxins can increase the likelihood of the disease.

References

External links

* * * * {{Rotenoid Plant toxin insecticides Hydroxyquinol ethers Rotenoids