Distribution of unusual polyamines in leguminous seeds

Abstract

Polyamines of 18 leguminous mature seeds were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. Putrescine, spermidine, and spermine occurred ubiquitously and cadaverine, agmatine, and homospermidine were sporadically found in these seeds. Six unusual polyamines, i.e., canavalmine [NH2(CH2)4NH(CH2)3NH(CH2)4NH2], homospermine [NH2(CH2)4NH(CH2)4NH(CH2)4NH2], aminopropylcanavalmine [NH2(CH2)3NH(CH2)4NH(CH2)3NH(CH2)4NH2], thermospermine [NH2(CH2)3NH(CH2)3NH(CH2)4NH2], and aminopropylhomospermidine [NH2(CH2)3NH(CH2)4NH(CH2)4NH2] were found in the seeds of Pisum sativum. Thermospermine and aminopropylhomospermidine were also detected in the seeds of Vicia hirsuta and Trifolium pratense, respectively. An unusual tetraamine, norspermine [NH2(CH2)3NH(CH2)3NH(CH2)3NH2], was found in the seeds of Medicago sativa and Vicia faba. The seeds of Phaseolus coccineus contained homospermine and a tertiary branched pentaamine, N5-aminobutylhomospermine [NH2(CH2)4N((CH2)4NH2)(CH2)4NH(CH2)4NH2]. Key words: poly amine, legume, seed.