Alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), a dibenzopyrone derivative, was isolated from Alternaria brassicae along with altertoxin II (ATX-II). The compounds were tested for the inhibitory activity of monoamine oxidase (MAO), which catalyzes neurotransmitting monoamines. AME was found to be a highly potent and selective inhibitor of human MAO-A with an IC50 value of 1.71 µM; however, it was found to be ineffective for MAO-B inhibition. ATX-II was not effective for the inhibition of either MAO-A or MAO-B. The inhibition of MAO-A using AME was apparently instantaneous. MAO-A activity was almost completely recovered after the dilution of the inhibited enzyme with an excess amount of AME, suggesting AME is a reversible inhibitor. AME showed mixed inhibition for MAO-A in Lineweaver-Burk plots with a Ki value of 0.34 µM. The findings of this study suggest that microbial metabolites and dibenzopyrone could be potent MAO inhibitors. In addition, AME could be a useful lead compound for developing reversible MAO-A inhibitors to treat depression, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
Keywords: Alternaria brassicae; Alternariol monomethyl ether; mixed inhibition; monoamine oxidase; selective inhibitor.