Enantiomeric differentiation of atropine/hyoscyamine by (13) C NMR spectroscopy and its application to Datura stramonium extract

MIL-53(Fe)-derived ant nest structured porous carbon nanospheres CuFeS2 /C for the determination of atropine enantiomeric impurity L-hyoscyamine

In this work, an ant nest structured porous carbon nanosphere had been developed for the recognition detection of the atropine (ATP) enantiomers D-hyoscyamine (D-HSM) and L-hyoscyamine (L-HSM). Firstly, Fe-based organic framework was used as the substrate, and Cu ions and sulfur ions were separately introduced to obtain CuFeS₂ with ant nest structure by hydrothermal incubation. Then CuFeS₂ /C porous nanospheres (PNSs) were obtained by high-temperature calcination. The composite-modified electrode exhibited superior electrochemical performance for L-HSM due to the synergistic effect of CuFeS₂ cubic crystals and porous carbon, which has the high specific surface area of the ant nest structure. In addition, the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) about L-HSM formed with sulfonated-β-cyclodextrin (S-β-CD) and L-arginine (L-Arg) by cyclic voltammetry showed strong chiral recognition of D/L-HSM (ATP). Therefore, a novel electrochemical sensor was constructed based on CuFeS₂ /C PNSs and MIP to detect L-HSM by differential pulse voltammetry. Under the optimal conditions, the peak current density of L-HSM showed a good linearity in the concentration range of 0.02-4.6 μM with LOD and LOQ of 0.45 and 1.5 nM, respectively. The oxidation peaks of L-HSM and D-HSM were successfully identified from the racemic ATP, and the oxidation peak potential difference (ΔE_p ) between them was 0.138 V. In conclusion, the sensor showed excellent reproducibility, repeatability, and stability and had been applied to the determination of L-HSM in human serum, saliva, and ATP sulfate tablets with satisfactory results.

Alkaloids of the Genus Datura: Review of a Rich Resource for Natural Product Discovery

The genus Datura (Solanaceae) contains nine species of medicinal plants that have held both curative utility and cultural significance throughout history. This genus’ particular bioactivity results from the enormous diversity of alkaloids it contains, making it a valuable study organism for many disciplines. Although Datura contains mostly tropane alkaloids (such as hyoscyamine and scopolamine), indole, beta-carboline, and pyrrolidine alkaloids have also been identified. The tools available to explore specialized metabolism in plants have undergone remarkable advances over the past couple of decades and provide renewed opportunities for discoveries of new compounds and the genetic basis for their biosynthesis. This review provides a comprehensive overview of studies on the alkaloids of Datura that focuses on three questions: How do we find and identify alkaloids? Where do alkaloids come from? What factors affect their presence and abundance? We also address pitfalls and relevant questions applicable to natural products and metabolomics researchers. With both careful perspectives and new advances in instrumentation, the pace of alkaloid discovery—from not just Datura—has the potential to accelerate dramatically in the near future.

The Phytochemistry of Cherokee Aromatic Medicinal Plants

Background: Native Americans have had a rich ethnobotanical heritage for treating diseases, ailments, and injuries. Cherokee traditional medicine has provided numerous aromatic and medicinal plants that not only were used by the Cherokee people, but were also adopted for use by European settlers in North America. Methods: The aim of this review was to examine the Cherokee ethnobotanical literature and the published phytochemical investigations on Cherokee medicinal plants and to correlate phytochemical constituents with traditional uses and biological activities. Results: Several Cherokee medicinal plants are still in use today as herbal medicines, including, for example, yarrow (Achillea millefolium), black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), and blue skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). This review presents a summary of the traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, and biological activities of Cherokee aromatic and medicinal plants. Conclusions: The list is not complete, however, as there is still much work needed in phytochemical investigation and pharmacological evaluation of many traditional herbal medicines.

Lanthanide-induced shift reagents enable the structural elucidation of natural products in inseparable complex mixtures – the case of elemenal from Inula helenium L. (Asteraceae)

A new approach to the structural elucidation of constituent(s) of complex mixtures was developed based on the use of lanthanide-induced shift reagents. This methodology was successfully applied in the identification of a rare sesquiterpene elemenal.

13C NMR spectroscopy for the quantitative determination of compound ratios and polymer end groups

(13)C NMR spectroscopic integration employing short relaxation delays was evaluated as a quantitative tool to obtain ratios of diastereomers, regioisomers, constitutional isomers, mixtures of unrelated compounds, peptoids, and sugars. The results were compared to established quantitative methods such as (1)H NMR spectroscopic integration, gas chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography and were found to be within <3.4% of (1)H NMR spectroscopic values (most examples give results within <2%). Acquisition of the spectra took 2-30 min on as little as 10 mg of sample, proving the general utility of the technique. The simple protocol was extended to include end group analysis of low molecular weight polymers, which afforded results in accordance with (1)H NMR spectroscopy and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight spectrometry.

Norlittorine and norhyoscyamine identified as products of littorine and hyoscyamine metabolism by (13)C-labeling in Datura innoxia hairy roots

The presence of two compounds, norlittorine and norhyoscyamine, has been reported in leaves and roots of Datura innoxia; however their metabolic origin in the tropane alkaloid pathway has remained unknown. Precise knowledge of this pathway is a necessary pre-requisite to optimize the production of hyoscyamine and scopolamine in D. innoxia hairy root cultures. The exact structure of norlittorine and norhyoscyamine was confirmed by LC-MS/MS and NMR analyses. Isotopic labeling experiments, using [1-(13)C]-phenylalanine, [1'-(13)C]-littorine and [1'-(13)C]-hyoscyamine, combined with elicitor treatments, using methyl jasmonate, coronalon and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, were used to investigate the metabolic origin of the N-demethylated tropane alkaloids. The results suggest that norlittorine and norhyoscyamine are induced under stress conditions by conversion of littorine and hyoscyamine. We propose the N-demethylation of tropane alkaloids as a mechanism to detoxify cells in overproducing conditions.