stachydrine

Stachydrine is a naturally occurring quaternary ammonium alkaloid, specifically a pyrrolidine alkaloid and amino acid betaine derived from proline. It is a prominent constituent of the traditional Chinese herb *Leonurus japonicus* (motherwort) and is also found in plants like *Citrus aurantium*, *Stachys tuberifera*, and *Capparis tormentosa*, as well as in various bacteria[1][2][4]. Chemically, stachydrine is the methylbetaine of proline with the molecular formula C₇H₁₃NO₂ and molecular weight of 143.18[2][6][8]. Stachydrine exhibits diverse pharmacological activities through multiple mechanisms. Its **cardioprotective effects** are mediated through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic pathways, modulation of calcium handling, and inhibition of platelet activation and thrombosis[1]. The compound demonstrates **anti-inflammatory properties** by decreasing release of IL-1β and TNF-α, blocking NF-κB signaling pathway phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit, and modulating the JAK/STAT pathway by inhibiting p-STAT3 and p-JAK2 production[1]. Stachydrine shows **neuroprotective actions** by reducing cell death, neurological impairment, and brain tissue damage in traumatic brain injury models through suppression of PI3K/mTOR/Akt and TLR4/NF-κB pathways[1]. Its **anticancer properties** involve inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinases including BCR-ABL, modulation of PI3K/Akt, ERK/MAPK, and NF-κB pathways, promotion of apoptosis through mitochondrial pathways, inhibition of cancer cell migration and invasion via CXCR4/ERK and CXCR4/Akt pathways, cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase, and antioxidant effects through enhancement of superoxide dismutase activity[1]. In plants and bacteria, stachydrine functions as an osmoprotectant, helping organisms adapt to high osmotic pressure environments by regulating osmotic pressure, contributing to nitrogen fixation, pest resistance, and stress response[1][4]. The compound may also act as a molecular chaperone, stabilizing protein structures and preventing denaturation under stress conditions[4].

Other names

proline betaineL-proline betaineturicineN,N-dimethyl-L-proline(2S)-1,1-dimethylpyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acidcis-4-hydroxy-D-proline betainecis4-hydroxy-D-proline betainecis 4-hydroxy-D-proline betainemethyl hygrate betaine