A review on β-carboline alkaloids and their distribution in foodstuffs: A class of potential functional components or not?

Pharmacologically active f3-carboline alkaloids (f3Cs) such as harman, norharman and some others are naturally present in plants and occur in many foodstuffs. They have a lot of pharmacological properties, including antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, and possess the potential for treating Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression and other central nervous system diseases. Dietary intake is proven to be an important source of f3Cs. Therefore, it is important to know the amounts of f3Cs that can be gotten from daily diets. This review summarizes the pharmacological activities, toxicology and formation of f3Cs, and gives collective information on contents of f3Cs in different foodstuffs.

Automated summary

Pharmacologically active f3-carboline alkaloids (f3Cs) such as harman and norharman are naturally present in plants and many foodstuffs, with potential benefits in treating various central nervous system diseases. Understanding the amounts of f3Cs in different foods is crucial as dietary intake is a significant source of these compounds.