Ionophoretic properties of ferutinin.

The influence of the natural terpenoid ferutinin (4-oxy-6-(4-oxybenzoyloxy) dauc-8,9-en), isolated from the plant Ferula tenuisecta, on ion permeability of biological and artificial membranes was investigated. It was shown that ferutinin, in the concentration range 1-50 microM, increases the permeability of thymocytes, mitochondria, sarcoplasmic reticulum, liposomes and bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) for Ca2+. Ferutinin establishes a transmembrane potential in BLM equal to the Nernst's potential. The permeability ratio for Na+/Ca2+ is 0.41. The dependence of BLM conductivity on ferutinin concentration is linear. The stoichiometry of the ferutinin:Ca2+ complex is 2, assuming the formation of a structure with participation of two terpenoid molecules and one Ca2+ ion.