The development of fungal endophytes of the genus Epichloë in grasses results in the production of different groups of alkaloids, whose mechanism and biological spectrum of toxicity can differ considerably. Ergot alkaloids, when present in endophyte-infected tall fescue, are responsible for "fescue toxicosis" in livestock, whereas indole-diterpene alkaloids, when present in endophyte-infected r...

The type and content change of alkaloids of Radix Aconiti Lateralis (Lateral root of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx, an important and popular medicinal herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine) in processing were studied using high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-multi-stage mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS(n)). Extract containing alkaloids, which were known to be the main bioact...

Seventeen pyrrolizidine alkaloids were studied with the hepatocyte primary culture-DNA repair test using rat hepatocytes. DNA repair synthesis was elicited by 15 alkaloids, including 11 of unknown carcinogenicity, i.e., senecionine, seneciphylline, jacobine, epoxyseneciphylline, senecicannabine, acetylfukinotoxin, syneilesine, dihydroclivorine, ligularidine, neoligularidine, and ligularizine. T...

Papaver pseudo-orientale population Tarom was shown to contain two major alkaloids, isothebaine (0.65%), Orientalidine (0.15%) and four minor alkaloids, bracteoline, mecambridine, Or and a novel alkaloid, nor-methyl Or .

papaver fugax poiret population khalkhal was shown to contain four major alkaloids, roemerine (0.19%), mecamberine (0.39%), liriodenine (0.20%) and salutaridine (0.10%). papaver caucasicum m. b. population elika was shown to contain four major alkaloids, nuciferine (0.50%), amurensinine (0.15%), lysicamine (0.30%) and nornuciferine (0.40%). lysicarnine and nornuciferine were detected for the fi...

Ergot alkaloids, produced by the plant parasitic fungi Claviceps purpurea are important pharmaceuticals. The chemistry, biosynthesis, bioconversions, physiological controls, and biochemistry have been extensively reviewed by earlier authors. We present here the research done on the organic synthesis of the ergot alkaloids during the past two decades. Our aim is to apply this knowledge to the sy...

Twenty-four bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids were screened for antiplasmoidal, antiamoebic, and cytotoxic activities by use of in vitro microtests. Eight of the alkaloids had antiplasmodial activity, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of less than 1 microM against a multidrug-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum (chloroquine had an IC50 of 0.2 microM). The three alkaloids most activ...

Taxonomic patterns in the distribution of alkaloids, phenolic compounds and cyanogenic glycosides in the genistoid group, which includes the tribes Brongniartieae, Genisteae, Thermopsideae, Crotalarieae, Podalyrieae, Euchresteae and part of the Sophoreae, are reviewed. Discontinuities in the distribution of secondary metabolites agree well with recent modifications to generic and tribal delimit...

Lys-derived alkaloids, including piperidine, quinolizidine, indolizidine, and lycopodium alkaloids, are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom. Several of these alkaloids have beneficial properties for humans and have been used in medicine. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of these alkaloids are not well understood. In the present article, we discuss recent...

Recently, Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) D.C. has become known as a healing plant with an ethnomedicinal background. There have been several reports on its constituents, in particular, oxindole alkaloids. It was found that 2 chemotypes of Uncaria tomentosa with different alkaloid patterns occur in nature. The roots of one type contain pentacyclic oxindoles and the other contains tetracyclic oxindol...