Leaf Flavonoids as Chemotaxonomic Markers for Two Erythroxylum Taxa

Abstract

Leaf extracts of Erythroxylum coca var. coca Lam. (E. c. var. coca) yielded six O-eonjugates of Eriodictyol flavonoids, while the equivalent extracts from Erythroxylum novograna tense var. novogranatense (Morris) Hieron (E. n. var. novogranatense) contained five flavo noids, two of which were O-conjugates of Luteolin and three were O-conjugates of Kaempferol. All six of E. c. var. coca methanolic extracted peaks (resolved by HPLC) were found to have a 2, 3 single bond, which in E. n. var. novogranatense is replaced by a 2-hydroxy allene. The other primary difference in the predominant flavonoids between these taxa is the chemical composition of the sugar and/or acyl O-conjugation and site(s) at which this conjugation occurred. The results suggest that the most abundant O-conjugated flavo noids of E. c. var. coca and E. n. var. novogranatense may be used as chemotaxonomic markers for the two taxa. Therefore, the O-conjugated peaks of Eriodictyol , are distinct chemotaxonomic markers for E. c. var. coca and the O-conjugated peaks Luteolin and Kaempferol for E. n. var. novogranatense. These taxa are two of the four cultivated Erythrox ylum taxa that contain commercial quantities of the cocaine alkaloid in their leaves, this entity also sets apart the taxa from other members of Erythroxylum. We suggest that the biochemistry of flavonoids of other Erythroxylum taxa may also be species selective.

Alkaloid Content in TwoErythroxylumTaxa During Juvenile Growth and Development

“…coca) as one transplanted and grown under field conditions for two years with leaves being harvested six times per year. This observation on cultivating coca is also the consensus of local coca growers interviewed in Bolivia and Peru in 1994, and 1995 (15). Accordingly, the juvenile growth period for E.c.…”

“…The foliage of these plants is used in traditional medicines and as a source for the cocaine alkaloid (12,31,33). Although the floral anatomy, seed embryology, ethnobotany, and phytochemistry for the taxa have been described (2)(3)(4)6,9,11,(13)(14)(15)19,21,23,(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)34,(37)(38)(39), past and present research on the two species has focused on constituents within mature plants, plant parts, and/or tissue derived from the plants (1,3,4,(7)(8)(9)11,12,14,15,19,21,30,32,33,35). Information on alkaloid composition and content in the plant tissue during the latter stage of seed maturation and during juvenile growth is lacking.…”

AFLP Phylogeny of 36 Erythroxylum Species

“…These findings supported their linear evolutionary progression hypothesis. However, more detailed investigations into the flavonoid chemistry of the cultivated taxa (Johnson et al 1997(Johnson et al , 1998(Johnson et al , 2002(Johnson et al , 2003a found few similarities in flavonoid profiles.…”

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts from Erythroxylum suberosum A.St. Hil.leaves

“…Chemically, the genus is characterized by the presence of tropane alkaloids. Also were also isolated flavonoids, terpenes, and tannins (Ansell, et al, 1993;Barreiros, et al, 2002;Brock, et al, 2005;Chávez, et al, 1996;González-Guevara, et al, 2006;Johnson, et al, 1997;Zuanazzi, et al, 2001). Erythroxylum coca Lamk.…”