Voacangine is an indole alkaloid derived from various species of Voacanga, indigenous to Africa. In the Pacific region,
voacangine was successfully isolated from Tabernaemontana aurantiaca (syn. Rejoua aurantiaca) from the coastal dsitricts of New Guinea by Ritchie and Taylor, University of Sydney, Australia in 1965. Voacangine inhibits angiogenesis in HUVEC lines in vitro and in vivo. Voacangine decreases the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α and its target gene, VEGF, in a dosedependent manner. Voacangine is a transient antagonist of thermosensitive TRPV1 and TRPM8, and an agonist of TRPA1. Voacangine is also active against Onchocerca.
| Molecular Formula | C22H28N2O3 |
| References | Guise G.B. et al (1965) Some constituents of Rejoua aurantiaca Gaud. and Voacanga papuana (F. Muell.) K. Schum. Aust. J. Chem. 18:927 Kim Y et al (2012) A natural small molecule voacangine inhibits angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. , Biochem. Biophy.s Res. Commun. 417:330 Ndjonka D. et al (2018) Review on medicinal plants and natural compounds as anti-onchocerca agents. Parasitol. Res. 117:2697 Quevauviller A et al (1955) Pharmacology of the alkaloids of Voacanga species. Annales Pharmaceutiques Terada Y. et al (2014) Activation and inhibition of thermosensitive TRP channels by voacangine, an alkaloid present in Voacanga africana, an African tree. J. Nat. Prod. 77:285 |