Variability of Isoquinoline Alkaloid Profiles and Anticholinesterase Activities with Binding‐Mode Predictions of Glaucium flavum Population

Abstract

In this study, phytochemical and biological activity studies supported by docking were carried out on a species of the genus Glaucium, a repository of isoquinoline alkaloids. The GC‐MS (Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry) method is used to characterize the isoquinoline alkaloids of Glaucium flavum Crantz. (Papaveraceae). G. flavum was collected from seven different regions of Türkiye (Antalya, Urla‐Izmir, Mordogan‐Izmir, Mugla, Assos‐Canakkale, Karabiga‐Canakkale, Giresun) and totally 17 compounds were detected by GC‐MS. Glaucine was found to be the major constituent in the sample collected from Mugla, whereas isocorydine was recorded to be the principal alkaloid in other samples. Further fractionation studies on G. flavum collected from Antalya province in Southwestern Türkiye, yielded five major alkaloids (isocorydine 1, dihydrosanguinarine 2, glaucine 3, dehydroglaucine 4, protopine 5) which were characterized by spectroscopic methods. Anticholinesterase activities of the extracts and isolated alkaloids were also tested by in vitro Ellman method. The isolated compounds were also analyzed by a molecular docking technique to determine the binding orientations in the gorge of the active site of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and a homology model of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). This is the first comparative investigation of the phytochemical composition and biodiversity of Glaucium flavum species growing in Türkiye.