| Description |
Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is a kind of alkaloids identified in Ligusticum wallichii FRANCH. It has various kinds of medical applications. It has long been used in China for the treatment of cardiovascular problems. It also has antiinflammatory and analgesic effect. It can be used for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Through effectively penetrating across the blood-brain barrier, it can exert its neuroprotection function which is useful for the treatment of ischemic brain injury. Moreover, it can eliminate superoxide anion and decreases nitric oxide production in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. |
| Chemical Characteristic |
White crystal or powder. With aroma of beef and heated lard and fermented soybean flavor. It smells chocolate flavor when diluted to 20mg/kg. Boiling point is 190℃. Melting point is between 84 and 86℃. Soluble in ethanol, most non-volatile oils and propylene glycol, slightly soluble in water.
Natural products exist in guava, roast beef, cocoa, coffee, shrimp and so on. |
| Uses |
- Permissible edible flavors, mainly used to prepare meat, cocoa, peanut, nut, coffee, chocolate flavor and so on;
- For medicine production;
- Used as flavoring agents, sweeteners for alcoholic beverages, flavor and enriching supplement for cigarettes.
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| Preparation |
- Butanedione monoxime generated by butanone and ethyl nitrite condensation is reduced and cyclized to produce methylpyrazine. The cyclization reaction product is subjected to steam distillation and the distillate is cooled,crystallized and filtered to generate crude tetramethylpyrazine which is refined with water recrystallization and activated carbon to decolor. Ethanol solution with 15% to 20% hydrogen chloride can be added into acetone to prepare hydrochloride salt.
- Condensed by 2,3-butanedione and 2,3-butanediamine.
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| References |
TH Tsai, CC Liang. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 216. 1-2 (2001)
WU, Zhi-youg, et al. Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 14 (2012): 085.
Ozaki, Yukihiro. Chemical and pharmaceutical bulletin 40.4 (1992): 954-956.
Kao, Tsung-Kuei, et al. Neurochemistry international 48.3 (2006): 166-176.
Zhang, Zhaohui, et al. Life sciences 72.22 (2003): 2465-2472. |
| Chemical Properties |
white crystals or powder |
| Uses |
Usually used in research and treatment of multiple disorders. |
| Definition |
ChEBI: A member of the class of pyrazines that is pyrazine in which all four hydrogens have been replaced by methyl groups. An alkaloid extracted from Chuanxiong (Ligusticum wallichii). |
