Lasiocarpine, a hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA), causes fatal liver veno-occlusive disease in vivo. Lasiocarpine is toxic only after its metabolic conversion to the toxic intermediate, including dehydrolasiocarpine and N-oxide[1].

Lasiocarpine is toxic only after its metabolic conversion to the toxic intermediate, known as dehydrolasiocarpine[1].Dehydrolasiocarpine and other putative didehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids (the pyrrolic esters) are very reactive,they attack nucleophilic macromolecules such as DNA and proteins, eliciting severe toxicities, including liver veno-occlusive disease and tumors[1].Lasiocarpine is mainly metabolized in vitro through five metabolic pathways, dehydrogenation, ester bond cleavage, demethylation[1].

[1]. Muluneh M Fashe, et al. Species-Specific Differences in the in Vitro Metabolism of Lasiocarpine. Chem Res Toxicol. 2015 Oct 19;28(10):2034-44.