Abstract

LOYOLA-VARGAS, Víctor M. et al. Biosíntesis de los alcaloides indólicos: Una revisión crítica. Rev. Soc. Quím. Méx [online]. 2004, vol.48, n.1, pp.67-94. ISSN 0583-7693.

Alkaloids are one of most diverse groups of secondary metabolites found in living organisms. This group includes around 12,000 products, among them we can find indole alkaloids, which are derived from tryptophan and comprise around 25% of all alkaloids. These types of alkaloids are present in several family plants, mainly Apocinaceae, Loganiaceae and Rubiaceae, all of them from the Gentiales order. The most economically important alkaloids are the bisindolics vinblastine, used for treating Hodgkin's disease, and vincristine, used for children's leukemia. Furthermore, the monoterpene alkaloids ajmalicine and serpentine are utilized as antihypertensive agents against cardiac arrythmias and the improvement of the brain's blood circulation. The complexity of the genetic, catalytic and transport processes of the monoterpene indole alkaloid biosynthesis are actually one of the more stimulating intellectual challenges in plant secondary metabolism field. More than 50 metabolic steps are required to synthetize the most important alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus. Until now about only 20 of the 50 enzymes required for their biosynthesis have been determined and characterized. Hence, there is still an important number of enzymes that need to be characterized and genes to be isolated and cloned. It is also fundamental to elucidate the regulatory aspects of their biosynthesis, both at the cellular and the molecular level, in order to address the question of their function in the plants producing them. In this review, an analysis of the state of the art related to the biosynthesis of the monoterpene indole alkaloids is presented.

Keywords : Catharanthus roseus; alkaloid; biosynthesis; secundary metabolism.

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