Moringin, A Stable Isothiocyanate from Moringa oleifera , Activates the Somatosensory and Pain Receptor TRPA1 Channel In Vitro

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 25; no. 4; p. 976
• Main Authors: Borgonovo, Gigliola, De Petrocellis, Luciano, Schiano Moriello, Aniello, Bertoli, Simona, Leone, Alessandro, Battezzati, Alberto, Mazzini, Stefania, Bassoli, Angela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22.02.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Agonists; Biological activity; Capsaicin receptors; Disease; Enzymes; Glucosinolates; HEK293 Cells; Humans; Isothiocyanate; isothiocyanates; Isothiocyanates - chemistry; Isothiocyanates - pharmacology; Leaves; Moringa oleifera; Moringa oleifera - chemistry; moringin; Nociceptive Pain - drug therapy; Nociceptive Pain - pathology; Nociceptors - drug effects; Pain; Pain perception; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Somatosensory Cortex; Transfection; Transient receptor potential proteins; Tropical plants; TRPA1 Cation Channel - antagonists & inhibitors; TRPA1 Cation Channel - genetics; trpa1 ion channel; TRPM Cation Channels - genetics; moringin; isothiocyanates; Moringa oleifera; TRPA1 ion channel
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules25040976

Lam. is a tropical plant widely used in traditional medicines and as a food supplement. It is characterized by the presence of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates; the stable isothiocyanate 4-[(α-l-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl]isothiocyanate (moringin) has been widely studied for its bioactivity as hypoglycemic, antimicrobial, anticancer and in particular for its involvement in nociception and neurogenic pain. Moringa extracts and pure moringin were submitted to in vitro assays with the somatosensory TRPA1 ion channel, proving that moringin is a potent and effective agonist of this receptor involved in nociceptive function and pain states. Moringin do not activate or activates very weakly the vanilloids somatosensory channels TRPV1,2,3 and 4, and the melastatin cooling receptor TRPM8. The comparison of moringin's activity with other known agonists of natural origin is also discussed.