The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of methanolic extract of Peganum harmala seeds was studied. The active compound was isolated and identified as harmaline with spectroscopic data. In vitro ACE inhibition assay was performed using four concentrations of harmaline. Harmaline inhibited 48.7 ACE activity at 1 micro g and was very close to the inhibition observed with the standard drug, captopril at 49.1 (1 micro M). At 0.5 micro g, 0.25 micro g, and 0.1 micro g, harmaline inhibited 42.5, 32.3, and 23.5 ACE activity, respectively. Results indicated that harmaline may act as a potential anti-hypertensive agent.
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