Analytical and pharmacological studies on Mahonia aquifolium.

Alcoholic extracts of the antipsoriatic Mahonia aquifolium drug which were analysed for their qualitative and quantitative alkaloid content, showed an in vitro inhibiting effect on cyclo-oxygenase (CO) of sheep seminal vesicles and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) of porcine leucocytes. The same extracts exhibited also immunostimulating activities in two phagocytosis assays. In contrast the major alkaloids of Mahonia aquifolium extracts berberine, palmatine, magnoflorine and jatrorrhizine were found to be inactive at all in both antiinflammatory assays, suggesting a different mechanism of action for the alkaloids or further not yet detected compounds in the extract.