DROUGHT INFLUENCE ON THE CONTENT AND COMPOSITION OF ALKALOIDS FROM SEEDS OF THE CHAMAECYTISUS RUTHENICUS (FISCH. EX WOLOSZCZ.) KLASKOVA, GROWING AT THE MOUNTAIN-FORESTS ZONE OF SOUTHERN URALS

Abstract

Quinolizidine alkaloid content of the Chamaecytisus ruthenicus (Fabaceae) seeds, collected in the period of drought in 2010 and in 2011 (last was normal in the number of precipitation), was determined by the chromato-mass-spectrometry method. Total sums of alkaloids from the seeds of Chamaecytisus ruthenicus were isolated in two stages. The first stage included preliminary "degreasing" of crushed seeds with hexane. Then resulting hexane extract was washed with aqueous solution of 3% hydrochloric acid, and acidic layer was treated by anhydrous Na2CO3 until pH 9. Alkaloids (in the form of bases) were extracted with chloroform. In parallel, the seeds are previously washed with hexane were thoroughly extracted with an acetone-water mixture (1 : 9), and then resulting water-acetone extract has been treated in accordance with the traditional method. Alkaloids obtained from hexane extract and fatless seeds were combined, concentrated and analyzed by chromato-mass spectrometry method. Individual alkaloids were identified by their full mass spectra using d-lupanine as a standard. On the base on obtained results, it was found that in drought conditions of 2010 the content of alkaloids in seeds of the Russian Broom (Ch. Ruthenicus) is significantly lower than in 2011, typical for its weather conditions (0.81% vs. 3.2%). However, the composition of alkaloids in the seeds of the Ch. ruthenicus, collected during the drought period, was more various: sparteine, methylcytisine, 17-oxosparteine, sophocarpine, d-lupanine, isoquinoline alkaloid salsolidine and pyridine alkaloid ammodendrine were found in these seeds. Only four quinolizidine alkaloids – sparteine, d-lupanine, 17-oxosparteine and sophocarpine were isolated from the seeds of Ch. ruthenicus 2011.