Chemotaxonomic value of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in southern Brazil Senecio (Senecioneae: Asteraceae)

Author(s)

Trigo, José Roberto ^[1] ; Leal, Inara Roberta ; Matzenbacher, Nelson Ivo ; Lewinsohn, Thomas Michael ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia - Brasil

^[4] Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Biochemical Systematics and Ecology; v. 31, n. 9, p. 1011-1022, Sept. 2003.
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology

Abstract

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) were characterized by GC-MS in inflorescences of 14 Senecio species (S. brasiliensis, S. conyzifolius, S. heterotrichius, S. oleosus, S. oxyphyllus, S. riograndensis, S. selloi, S. bonariensis, S. grossidens, S. icoglossus, S. juergensii, S. pulcher, S. ceratophylloides and S. crassiflorus) from southern Brazil, belonging to three taxonomic sections of the genus. The 1, 2-saturated macrocycle diesters (such as platyphylline or rosmarinine), 1, 2-saturated or unsaturated triangularine-like alkaloids such as senecioylplatinecine and senecioylretronecine were characteristic for the section Hualtatini. The section Corymbosi has, as characteristic PAs, 1, 2-unsaturated 12-membered macrocyclic diesters (such as senecionine), while the section Suffrutecius is ambiguous in relation to the PA profile. The data indicate that the PA patterns are mostly in good agreement with morphological data for the sections Corymbosi and Hualtatini and that they can be useful chemotaxonomic markers at the infrageneric level. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 98/05085-2 - Species and interaction diversity in plants and phytophagous insects
• Grantee: Thomas Michael Lewinsohn
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants