Molecular mechanism of African folk medicine discovered
Herbal remedy – extract of the leaves of the shrub Mallotus oppositifolius – has been used in Africa for centuries. Up to this point, the molecular mechanism of the drug was not fully understood. Scientists have found that the two components of the mallotus leaf extract are associated with the previously unrecognized KCNQ1 binding site, the potassium channel necessary to control the electrical activity of many human organs, including the heart, kidney, digestive tract, thyroid and pancreas.
“Plants are a rich source of compounds that modulate ion channels. We found out that the connections in the African folk remedy are associated with a previously unknown place located between the channel sometimes and its voltage sensor, ”the researchers explain.
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| Previously unknown place of binding two components of extracts of mallotus leaf / © UCI School of Medicine / Geoff Abbott |
“A genetic disorder of KCNQ1 leads to fatal cardiac arrhythmias and is associated with gastric cancer, type 2 diabetes and thyroid and pituitary dysfunction. KCNQ2 / 3 impairment leads to epilepsy and serious developmental delays. Thus, a new strategy is needed for the therapeutic activation of these potassium channels and overcoming the effects of genetic disorders. The discovery of new herbal ingredients that can help develop new drugs shows how important it is to protect plants from which to produce innovative therapeutic agents, ”says lead researcher Jeffrey Abbott.
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