Aloperine

Aloperine is an isolated alkaloid in sophora plants such as Sophora alopecuroides L, which exhibits anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-tumor properties. Aloperine treatment potently inhibits the swelling of the rat's hind paw induced by injecting carrageenin, macostatin, PGE2, histamine, or 5-HT, suppresses the rat's scald oedema induced by scalding its hind paw, and blocks the increased permeability of capillaries caused by histamine and the leukocytic migratory response. Aloperine treatment greatly improves the 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced allergic contact dermatitis in BALB/c mice, which might be related to the reduction of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6 production induced by DNFB. Aloperine exerts the most potent in vitro cytotoxic activity against the human cancer cell lines, compared with other Sophora flavescens Ait. (SF) derived quinolizidine alkaloids including sophoridine, sophocarpine, matrine, oxymatrine and cytisine. Aloperine treatment also significantly inhibits dermatitis index and ear thickness in DNFB-treated NC/Nga mice in a dose-dependent manner. Eosinophils, mast cells infiltration into the ears and plasma level of immunoglobulin (Ig) E are also suppressed by Aloperine treatment. Topical application of Aloperine increases the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 level, while it reduces other cytokines production in a dose-dependent manner. Clinically, Aloperine has been widely used in China for decades to treat patients with allergic contact dermatitis, eczema and other skin inflammation.