Effect of lycoriside, an acylglucosyloxy alkaloid, on mast cells.

The effect of lycoriside, an acylglucosyloxy alkaloid from Crinum asiaticum Linn, (family Amaryllidaceae), with or without sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside, was studied on the rate of degranulation of peritoneal mast cells of albino rats. Lycoriside, at lower concentrations (1-20 µg/ml), in vitro, produced statistically significant protection against Tween 80-induced degranulation, as also to sensitized mast cells challenged with an antigen (horse serum). It also provided protection against compound 48/80-induced degranulation of mast cells when administered in vivo (1-5 mg/kg, po). At higher concentrations (100 µg/ml and above), in vitro, however, it had a mast-cell degranulation effect per se. The addition of sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside to lycoriside did not modify the effect of the latter compound. The mechanism of the dual response elicited by lycoriside is appraised in view of a concentration-dependent anti- or prerelease effect on mast-cell mediators.