IN-VIVO NMR ANALYSIS OF TROPANE ALKALOID METABOLISM IN TRANSFORMED ROOT AND DE-DIFFERENTIATED CULTURES OF DATURA-STRAMONIUM

In vivo N-15 NMR spectroscopy has been used to study the metabolism of [N-15]tropinone in transformed root cultures of Datura stramonium. It was shown that, within only 2-4 hr of application of the labelled pre cursor, labelled metabolites can readily be detected. It was further d emonstrated that de-differentiated cultures, derived from the roots by treatment with phytohormones, are capable of metabolising [N-15]tropi none to [N-15]tropine and simple [N-15]tropine esters but that these c ultures cannot convert [N-15]tropinone to [N-15]hyoscyamine. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd