Aluminum ammonium sulfate dodecahydrate purified from traditional Chinese medicinal herb Korean monkshood root is a potent matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor.

Abstract

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases and key regulators for many physiological and pathological functions. The MMP inhibitors have been shown to modulate diseases such as cancer, inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases. In this paper we tracked the MMP inhibitory activities of the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Korean Monkshood Root. The purified active ingredient was identified by the elemental analysis, infrared spectrum (IR) and X-ray diffraction as aluminum ammonium sulfate dodecahydrate. This inorganic compound showed inhibitory activities toward a number of MMP family members. In particular, it has a strong inhibitory effect toward MMP-2 and MMP-9, with IC50 values of 0.54 and 0.50 μM, respectively. Further analysis suggested that the MMP inhibitory activity is mainly due to Al(3+). Cell viability assays using human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells showed aluminum ammonium sulfate had minimal cyto-toxicity with a concentration up to 500 μM. However, within 50 μM, it exhibited significant inhibition of cell invasion. To our knowledge, there has been no previous report of inorganic form of the MMP inhibitor with strong inhibitory activity. Our results for the first time showed that aluminum ammonium sulfate is an inorganic form of MMP inhibitor with high potency, and can be used to interfere with MMP related cellular processes.

• Authors: Yehua Shen, Sen Liu, Fenghai Jin, Tianyang Mu, Cong Li, Kun Jiang, Weihua Tian, Dahai Yu, Yingqi Zhang, Xuexun Fang
• Journal: Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine (Biometals) Vol. 25 Issue 3 Pg. 541-51 (Jun 2012) ISSN: 1572-8773 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 22395535 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Alum Compounds
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Enzyme Inhibitors
• Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors
• aluminum ammonium sulfate

Topics

• Alum Compounds (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Enzyme Inhibitors (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Humans
• Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors
• Plants, Medicinal (chemistry)
• X-Ray Diffraction