Bioactive Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids
Summary
Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids constitute a diverse class of plant‐derived natural products characterised by the fusion of an indole nucleus with a monoterpene unit. Ubiquitous in Apocynaceae and Rubiaceae species, these compounds exhibit an extraordinary range of biological activities, including anticancer, neuroprotective, anti‐inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. Landmark examples such as vincristine and vinblastine have demonstrated the clinical potential of this scaffold in oncology, while emerging derivatives show promise in neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders. Advances in isolation techniques, spectroscopic analysis and computational chemistry have accelerated the discovery of novel structures and the elucidation of their modes of action. An integrated understanding of biosynthetic pathways has enabled pathway engineering and biocatalytic approaches to enhance yields and generate non‐natural analogues, underscoring the global significance of these alkaloids in drug discovery and sustainable biotechnology.
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Bioactive Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bioactive monoterpenoid indole alkaloids across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Monoterpenoid indole alkaloid (MIA): Natural product comprising an indole ring linked to a monoterpene moiety, often with significant pharmacological effects.
Bisindole alkaloid: Compound formed by the covalent coupling of two indole‐containing monomer units, frequently enhancing biological potency.
Biosynthetic pathway: Series of enzyme‐mediated reactions in plants that convert simple precursors into complex natural products.
Aβ42: A 42‐residue amyloid‐β peptide implicated in plaque formation in Alzheimer’s disease.
Phospho‐tau (Thr217): Tau protein phosphorylated at threonine 217, serving as a biomarker for neurofibrillary pathology.
MAPK14 (p38α): A stress‐activated mitogen‐activated protein kinase involved in apoptosis and inflammatory signalling.
References
- Globospiramine from Voacanga globosa Exerts Robust Cytotoxic and Antiproliferative Activities on Cancer Cells by Inducing Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis in A549 Cells and Inhibiting MAPK14 (p38α): In Vitro and Computational Investigations. Cells (2024).
- New Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids from Tabernaemontana crassa Inhibit β-Amyloid42 Production and Phospho-Tau (Thr217). International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Two Novel Iboga-Type and an Oxindole Glucuronide Alkaloid from Tabernaemontana peduncularis Disclose Related Biosynthetic Pathways to Tabernaemontana divaricata. Molecules (2023).
About these summaries
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