Triterpene saponins, quaternary ammonium compounds, phosphatidyl cholines,and amino acids in the pronotal and elytral secretions of Platyphora opimaand Desmogramma subtropica

Secretions of the pronotal and elytral glands;of adults of the chrysomelid beetle Platyphora opima from Panama have been shown to contain two oleanane triterpene saponins: the known 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-beta-D-gl ucuronopyranosyl-oleanolic acid-28-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and compound 1, whose structure was established as 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-beta- D-glucuronopyranosyl-29-hydroxyoleanolic acid-28-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside b y a combination of 1D and 2D NMR methods (COSY, HMQC, HMBC, and TOCSY) and FABMS. The secretions also contained N,N,N-trimethylcadaverine and its 1,2- dehydro derivative 3, as well as the nicotinamide derivative 4. Secretions of Desmogramma subtropica, also from Panama, contained a!; sole triterpene derivative 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucur oleanolic acid ( 2), together with glutamic acid, glutamine, pyroglutamic acid, and arginine . A mixture of phosphatidylcholines was also present in the secretions of b oth species.