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Metabolic Alterations in Different Developmental Stages of Pilocarpus microphyllus

2010; Thieme Medical Publishers (Germany); Volume: 77; Issue: 03 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1055/s-0030-1250314

1439-0221

Ilka N. Abreu, Young Hae Choi, Alexandra Christine Helena Frankland Sawaya, Marcos N. Eberlin, Paulo Mazzafera, Robert Verpoorte,

Traditional Chinese Medicine Analysis

Pilocarpine is an imidazole alkaloid that has been used for more than a century in glaucoma treatment. It is present in several species of the Pilocarpus genus (jaborandi), with its highest concentrations in P. microphyllus. In addition to pilocarpine, pilosine – an imidazole alkaloid without pharmacological use – is produced in high concentrations in mature plants. A metabolomic study was carried out on juvenile and mature plants to obtain information about pilocarpine metabolism at different developmental stages. Methanol-water and alkaloid extracts were analyzed by 1H NMR and ESI‐MS. Metabolic profiles from both techniques showed clear differences between various developmental stages. Intense signals in the aromatic region of the 1H NMR spectrum and ions from pilosine and related alkaloids by ESI/MS were found only in extracts from mature plant. Two new imidazole alkaloids were identified by MSn. Our results suggest that pilosine is produced exclusively in mature developmental stage, and juvenile plant material seems to be appropriate for further studies on pilocarpine biosynthesis.