Alkaloid Composition of the Nicotiana Species

Abstract

SUMMARYPlants from 64 Nicotiana species were sampled in the greenhouse in 1983 and 1984 and from the field in 1985 and 1986 for the purpose of developing a chemical profile of each species. Mature green leaves were harvested at flowering, freeze-dried and ground to pass a 1 mm screen prior to chemical analysis. In this study we report the type and amounts of nicotinoid alkaloids. Alkaloid values were determined by glass -capillary gas chromatography and were averaged over the two years for each environment. Both total alkaloids (mg g-1 dry weight) and the distribution (percentage composition) of nicotine, nornicotine, anabasine, and anatabine were highly correlated between years for greenhouse and field samples. Greenhouse and field data were highly correlated, although total-alkaloid levels were significantly higher from field-grown plants. All of the Nicotiana species tested contained a measurable alkaloid fraction (at least 10 !lg g-1 ) . There was a wide range in total-alkaloid levels with nearly a

Remote sensing of future competitors: Impacts on plant defenses

“…Defense proteins [(trypsin) proteinase inhibitors] and diterpene glycosides are expressed at low levels in N. longiflora (ref. 17; M.M.I., unpublished results), and nicotine, although an important defense alkaloid in several species of the genus Nicotiana, does not accumulate in significant quantities in this species (18). Herbivory increased the abundance of transcripts of enzymes involved in the synthesis of phenylpropanoids (C6-C3 molecules), which are precursors of defense-related phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid (CHA) ( Fig.…”

Revisiting anabasine biosynthesis in tobacco hairy roots expressing plant lysine decarboxylase gene by using ¹⁵N-labeled lysine

“…Nicotine, the most abundant alkaloid found in tobacco accounts for about 95% of its total alkaloids contents (Hashimoto and Yamada 1994;Saitoh et al 1985). However, some species, such as Nicotiana glauca accumulate anabasine, a pyridine-piperidine alkaloid, as a major compound (Saitoh et al 1985;Sisson and Severson 1990). Nicotine is one of the most toxic drugs of abuse while anabasine, similar in both structure and effects to nicotine, is considerably more toxic to human (Furer et al 2011).…”

Synthesis of (±) [5‐3H] N′‐nitrosoanatabine, a tobacco‐specific nitrosamine

“…Even though anatabine is the most abundant of the minor alkaloids in the Nicotiana tabacum varieties grown in North America, 23 data on metabolism of NAT and its possible genotoxic effects in laboratory animals are scarce. While NAT appears to lack carcinogenic activity in the rat, 3 its potential carcinogenicity in other laboratory animals remains undefined.…”