Author(s)

Milan Melnik, Ondrej Sprusansky, Peter Musil

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.

This review shortly summarized bio-medical activities of purine alkaloids, caffeine (caf), theophyline (top) and theobromine (tob). Caffeine potentiates the cytotoxicity of a variety of DNA domaging agents. Caffeine increased antitumor activity of some cancerostatic drugs. Caffeine inhibits the carcinogenic activity of cigarette smoke, significantly potentiating the therapeutic effect of acetaminophenol, cyclophosphoramide, enhances lipid oxidation, affects the central nervous system and alters cardiovascular system. Theophyline has expressive anti-inflammatory and antiasthmatic effect, and enhanced mobilization of lipid reduces the brain regional adenylate cyclase activity, facilitates glucose inhibition. Theophyline is muscle relaxant, vasodilator, diuretic and cardiac stimulant. Theobromine increases antitumor activity of adriamycin and doxorubicin, has expressive anti-inflammatory effect and it is classical diureticum. Several examples of caffeine with some organic substrates as well as with copper are also outlined. Increasing activity of the respective drugs in the present of the purine alkaloids can be ascribed to direct interaction as was proved by X-ray data of some caffeine adducts with organic substances as well as Cu(II) complexes.

Bio-Medical Activity, Caffeine, Purine Alkaloids, Theophyline, Theobromine

Melnik, M. , Sprusansky, O. and Musil, P. (2014) Bio-Medical Aspects of Purine Alkaloids. Advances in Biological Chemistry, 4, 274-280. doi: 10.4236/abc.2014.44033.