Comparative study of the in vitro synthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxanes in plants belonging to Liliaceae family

Ali, M.
Afzal, M.
Hassan, R. A.
Farid, A.
Burka, John F.

General Pharmacology

Journal Article

1990

21

3

273

276

Biomedical Sciences

1. Homogenates of garlic (Allium sativum), onions (Allium cepa) and Allium porum were in vitro incubated with [14C]arachidonic acid. 2. Separation of labelled prostaglandins and thromboxanes were accomplished by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and the Rf values were compared with those of authentic standards. 3. The prostaglandins identified were 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, PGF2 alpha, TXB2, PGE2 and PGD2. 4. PGE2 and PGD2 were the major metabolites of arachidonic acid among all the members of the Show more1. Homogenates of garlic (Allium sativum), onions (Allium cepa) and Allium porum were in vitro incubated with [14C]arachidonic acid. 2. Separation of labelled prostaglandins and thromboxanes were accomplished by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and the Rf values were compared with those of authentic standards. 3. The prostaglandins identified were 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, PGF2 alpha, TXB2, PGE2 and PGD2. 4. PGE2 and PGD2 were the major metabolites of arachidonic acid among all the members of the Liliaceae family studied. 5. Garlic was found to have the highest capacity to metabolize the [14C]arachidonic acid into prostaglandins and thromboxanes. 6. The synthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxanes, was inhibited by preincubation of homogenates with indomethacin or was completely destroyed by boiling the plant extract prior to incubation with arachidonic acid. This confirmed the presence of cyclooxygenase in these plants. Show less