The Identification and Characterization
of the Cardioactive Principals in
Hawthorn Extract
by Niel Henriksen
Mentor: Dr. Phil Proteau
College of Pharmacy
Hawthorn and Heart Failure
• Congestive heart failure (CHF) results from
coronary artery disease, a previous heart attack,
high blood pressure, heart defects, and
infections in the heart tissue.
• Nearly 5 million people in the United
States are diagnosed with CHF.
• The symptoms of CHF include
shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling
and kidney dysfunction.
Hawthorn Extract Benefits
• Clinical trials by the NYHA demonstrated:
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exercise tolerance
dyspnea (shortness of breath)
ankle swelling
blood pressure
• Studies on cardiac tissue show:
(+) inotropic effects
(+) cardiac flux
(+) vasorelaxation
(+) anti-arrhythmic potential
Hawthorn Extract Unknowns
• Active compound(s)
– Flavonoids and Procyanidins?
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Mechanism of action
Proper dosing
Duration of therapy
Most effective extract source (berries,
leaves, or flowers)
Project Goals
• Develop cell based bioassays for
evaluation of the direct cardiac effects of
hawthorn extract
• Using bioassay-guided fractionation,
identify the components in hawthorn
extract with cardiac activity
Bioassay Tests
• Rate of Contraction
• Amplitude of Contraction
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Isolation Techniques
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Solvent Extraction
Thin-Layer Chromatography
Large Scale Chromatography
High Performance Liquid
Chromatography
Identification Techniques
• Mass Spectrometry
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
(NMR) Spectroscopy
Future Goals
• Complete bioassay-guided fractionation
• Determine the most effective extract
source
• Determine the mechanism through with
hawthorn extract functions
• Correlate the plasma levels of cardioactive
component with the physiologic effects on
animal models
Acknowledgements
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Dr. Phil Proteau
Shannon Long
Dr. Theresa Filtz
Dr. Kevin Ahern
Howard Hughes Medical Institute