Inhibitory activity of Filipendula ulmaria constituents on recombinant human histidine decarboxylase

Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) catalyses the formation of histamine, a bioactive amine. Agents that control HDC activity are beneficial for treating histamine-mediated symptoms, such as allergies and stomach ulceration. We searched for inhibitors of HDC from the ethyl acetate extract of the petal of Filipendula ulmaria, also called meadowsweet. Rugosin D, rugosin A, rugosin A methyl ester (a novel compound), and tellimagrandin II were the main components; these 4 ellagitannins exhibited a non-competitive type of inhibition, with K(i) values of approximately 0.35-1 μM. These K(i) values are nearly equal to that of histidine methyl ester (K(i)=0.46 μM), an existing substrate analogue inhibitor. Our results show that food products contain potent HDC inhibitors and that these active food constituents might be useful for designing clinically available HDC inhibitors.