Dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids, including monoesters with an unusual esterifying acid, from cultivated Crotalaria juncea (Sunn Hemp cv.'Tropic Sun')

J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Apr 11;60(14):3541-50. doi: 10.1021/jf205296s. Epub 2012 Apr 2.

Abstract

Cultivation of Crotalaria juncea L. (Sunn Hemp cv. 'Tropic Sun') is recommended as a green manure crop in a rotation cycle to improve soil condition, help control erosion, suppress weeds, and reduce soil nematodes. Because C. juncea belongs to a genus that is known for the production of toxic dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids, extracts of the roots, stems, leaves, and seeds of 'Tropic Sun' were analyzed for their presence using HPLC-ESI/MS. Qualitative analysis identified previously unknown alkaloids as major components along with the expected macrocyclic dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid diesters, junceine and trichodesmine. The dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids occurred mainly as the N-oxides in the roots, stems, and, to a lesser extent, leaves, but mainly as the free bases in the seeds. Comprehensive spectrometric and spectroscopic analysis enabled elucidation of the unknown alkaloids as diastereoisomers of isohemijunceine, a monoester of retronecine with an unusual necic acid. The dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid contents of the roots, stems, and leaves of immature plants were estimated to be 0.05, 0.12, and 0.01% w/w, respectively, whereas seeds were estimated to contain 0.15% w/w.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Agriculture / methods
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Crotalaria / chemistry*
  • Esterification
  • Lactones / analysis
  • Monocrotaline / analogs & derivatives
  • Monocrotaline / analysis
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Plant Roots / chemistry
  • Plant Stems / chemistry
  • Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids / analysis*
  • Seeds / chemistry
  • Soil / analysis
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Substances

  • Lactones
  • Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids
  • Soil
  • trichodesmine
  • Monocrotaline