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Tenuazonic acid is a mycotoxin produced by Alternaria species.Alisa D. Hocking (Editor), John I. Pitt (Editor) and Robert A. Samson (Editor): Advances in Food Mycology. Springer 2006; ; p. 23 It is a powerful eukaryotic protein synthesis inhibitor.Dilip K. Arora and Arora K. Arora: Fungal Biotechnology in Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Applications. Marcel Dekker Inc; illustrated edition 2003; ; p. 336 It is a tetrameric acid that is ubiquitous in biological environments and prevents the release of newly synthesized protein from the ribosome. Its toxicity is the highest among all Alternaria mycotoxins and has both Phytotoxicity and Cytotoxicity properties. In 1991 Tenuazonic acid was reported to inhibit skin tumor promotion in mice. Tenuazonic acid page from Fermentek
Tenuazonic acid has been a compound of interest in drug development research for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several factors contribute to the onset of AD, including low levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Ach), heightened production of free radicals, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause increased oxidative stress. A drug for AD must target multiple factors of the disease to have a successful therapeutic effect. One study examining six natural compounds determined tenuazonic acid to be a viable compound to treat this multi-factorial disease due to its anti-oxidative and acetylcholinesterase inhibiting properties. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) inhibit the breakdown of acetylcholine — allowing for prolonged action of acetylcholine in the nervous system. Tenuazonic acid was also observed to have the ability to chelate heavy metals that directly contribute to increasing oxidative stress.) Five derivatives of tenuazonic acid synthesized and tested for effectiveness in AD treatment showed multi-target activity. Hybrids created using TeA and a known AD drug exhibit even better acetylcholinesterase inhibiting activity.
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