Distribution of quinolizidine alkaloid types in nine Ormosia species (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae)

Ricker, M.(1) (Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sci ences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wo od Street, Chicago, IL 60612, U.S.A.), D. C. Daly (The New York Botanical G arden, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, U.S.A.), Cr. Veen (Universitat Wurzburg, Lehrs tuhl fur Pharmazeutische Biologie, Mittlerer Dallenbergweg 64, 97082 Wurzbu rg, Germany), E. E Robbins (Research Resources Center, University of Illino is at Chicago, 835 South Wolcott Street, Chicago, IL 60612, U.S.A.), M. Sin ta V. (Apartado Postal 70-304, Ciudad Universitaria, Delegacion Coyoacan, M exico D.F 04511, Mexico), J. Chota I. (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana, Facultad de Ingenieria Forestal, Pevas 584, Apartado 120, Iquitos, Peru), E-C. Czygan (Universitat Wurzburg, Lehrstuhl fur Pharmazeutische Bi ologie, Mittlerer Dallenbergweg 64, 97082 Wurzburg, Germany) & A. D. Kingho rn (Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, Coll ege of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, U.S.A.). Distribution of quinolizidine alkaloid types in nine Ormosia species (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae). Brittonia 51: 34-43. 19 99.-Quinolizidine alkaloids were surveyed in 22 plant samples, representing nine Ormosia species and up to five different plant parts per species, usi ng combined gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. The detected alkaloid s were classified into 40 structural types. There was a remarkable degree o f dissimilarity of alkaloid-type profiles between any two plant samples, in cludings those obtained from the same species and even from a single tree. The similarity of alkaloid-type profiles among the studied samples varied b etween 0% and 79% (Jaccard similarity coefficient). Of chemotaxonomic inter est was the finding of acosmine in O. isthmensis, which previously had been reported only from the related genus Acosmium. Furthermore, the alkaloid-t ype profile of O. panamensis seeds was distinct from that of all other samp les, supporting the hypothesis that this species is only distantly related to the other Latin American Ormosia species.