TOXIC AMINES AND ALKALOIDS FROM ACACIA-RIGIDULA

Acacia rigidula Benth., blackbrush, is a shrub found growing on rocky ridges in west and southwest Texas and northern Mexico. Consumption of blackbrush and a related specie's guajillo, Acacia; berlandieri Benth ., has been associated with a locomotor ataxia known as ''limber leg'' . In an effort to identify the mechanism of this toxicity, blackbrush was subjected to rigorous chemical analysis. In addition to the four p reviously detected amines, N-methyl-beta-phenethylamine,tyramine, N-me thyltyramine, and hordenine, 40 other alkaloids and amines were isolat ed and identified by GC-MS. These alkaloids and amines included nicoti ne, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, mescaline, several tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids,:and four amphetamines. A significant increase in the number and relative quantities of these compounds was observed in late seaso n foliage. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.