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Insecticidal effect of Ungernia severtzovii bulbs extract has been investigated against the grain aphid Schizaphis graminum . LC 50 value of the ethanolic extract of U. severtzovii against the female aphids was 0.235% (2.35 g/l). There was 100% mortality of the subsequent nymphs of the treated females at 0.25–1.0%. The extract was equally active against the nymphs at the highest concentrations. Hexane and ethanolic extracts were the most active against the aphids of all the extracts. Fractionation of the hexane extract by TLC yielded three fractions. Fraction II was the most active (>90% mortality) against the aphids. Xanthoxylin was identified as the major constituent in fraction II of the hexane extract and may be responsible for the insecticidal effect of U. severtzovii .

Galanthamine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor marketed as a hydrobromide salt (Razadyne®, Reminyl®) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is obtained from Amaryllidaceae plants, especially those belonging to the genera Leucojum, Narcissus, Lycoris and Ungernia. The growing demand for galanthamine has prompted searches for new sources of this compound, as well as other bioactive alkaloids for the treatment of AD. In this paper we report the isolation of the new alkaloid 11β-hydroxygalanthamine, an epimer of the previously isolated alkaloid habranthine, which was identified using NMR techniques. It has been shown that 11β-hydroxygalanthamine has an important in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. Additionally, Hippeastrum papilio yielded substantial quantities of galanthamine.

Components of three investigated plant extracts from the biomass of cultivated cells of Ungernia victoris, Rhodiola rosea, and Polyscias filicifolia interact with porin proteins OmpC and OmpF and reduce their receptor activity towards OmpC- and OmpF-dependent bacteriophages. The influx of these components into cells optimizes the synthesis of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) complex and contributes to the enhancement of receptor activity of not only LPS but also OmpA and LamB proteins closely associated with the latter.

Furosemid and Verapamil influence the production of plasmid transformants in E. coli in accordance with the actual properties of the calcium channel regulators in eukaryotes. That is, Furosemid stimulates, while Verapamil inhibits, entry of transforming DNA into a competent cell. The PHB/Ca2+ polyP complex not only serves as a channel for penetration of transforming DNA, but also functions as one of the targets for blocking transformation of a U. victoris extract.

Cell lines of U. victoris obtained from a single bulb and grown over lengthy periods of time in agarsolidified and liquid media differed significantly in terms of chromosome number. No effect of the components of the nutrient media, including phytohormones, on the evolution of the governing ratios between cells of different ploidy was found. An increase in the proportion of metaphases with the diploid chromosome set when the callus was transferred into a liquid medium was also established.

A low-esterified pectin with MW 51,300 Da, [α]D+125°, and galacturonic anhydride content 68.3% was isolated in 6.8% yield from leaves of Ungernia victoris. Partial acid hydrolysis of the pectinic substances produced galacturonan with [α]D +175° and MW 34,500 Da. The structure of the galacturonan was studied by 13C NMR spectroscopy.

A mannan has been isolated from the bulbs ofUngernia ferganica Vved., and its qualitative chemical composition, the nature of the bond between the hexose residues, and the form of the molecule have been determined. It has been established that the mannan is a relatively nontoxic compound and exhibits a pronounced hypolipidemic activity both in intact animals and in animals with experimental hyperlipidemia.

Pectin substances have been isolated from the leaves ofUngernia tadschicorum and characterized. A galacturonan has been obtained by partial hydrolysis. On the basis of the results of IR spectroscopy and periodiate — nitric acid oxidation, its structure has been established as an α-1→4-bound polymer-homolog.

The review is devoted to the study of the alkaloids of plants of the genusUngernia (Amaryllidaceae). It gives their characteristic reactions and information on the determination of their structures and stereochemistry and on the dynamics of the accumulation of alkaloids in the plants of the genusUngernia. A dependence of the physiological activity of the alkaloids on their structure is shown.

The results of a study of the structure of ungeromannan-V fromUngernia vvedenskii Khamidkh by oxidation with chromic oxide and with sodium periodate and by methylation have shown that the monosaccharide residues in it are linked by β-1 → 4 glycosidic bonds. The macromolecule of ungeromannan-V has slight branching.

The group carbohydrate composition of the bulbs ofUngernia trisphaera has been studied. The homogeneous ungeromannan-Tr, acetylated in the native state, has been isolated. On the basis of the results of periodate oxidation, methylation, partial hydrolysis, and IR and13C NMR spectroscopy, it has been shown that ungeromannan-Tr consists of a linear polymer D-mannopyranose with β-(1 → 4)-glycosidic bonds.

1. In a study of the NMR spectra of ungerine, dihydroungerine, hippeastrine, hippeastrine acetate, dihydrohippeastrine, dihydrohippeastrine acetate, and unsevine it has been shown that the B and C rings in these compounds have a cis linkage. 2. It has been found that, in contrast to the alkaloid clivonine, in dihydrohippeastrine the B/C ring-linkage is cis, and the N-CH3 group is located above the plane of the benzene ring. 3. The orientations of the H5, H5a, and H11b protons and the substituent OR at C5 of ring C have been established.

1.Ungernia severtzovii has yielded lycorine, hippeastrine, 1-narwedine, d-narwedine, dl-narwedine, ungerwine, unsevine, galanthamine, tazettine, pancratine, and ungminorine; 1-narwedine and unsevine have been obtained from the plant for the first time.

A study ofU. victoris, U. tadshicorum, andU. trisphaera with respect to the vegetation periods and growth sites has shown that the maximum accumulation of alkaloids takes place in the early vegetation period and that naturally dried leaves do not contain alkaloids. The alkaloid content also depends on the growth site. In the period of the vigorous development of the epigeal part, some alkaloids are possibly converted into one another (hippeastrine into lycorine, galanthamine into narwedine, and narwedine into galanthamine).

A mannan having a linear structure and containing β-1 → 4-bound D-mannopyranose residues in the chain has been isolated from the bulbs ofUngernia oligostroma M. Pop et Vved. X-ray and electron microscope studies have been made of the mannan and its derivatives. From the x-radiographic point of view the mannan and its derivatives are amorphous. At the supermolecular level the mannan possesses an amorphous finely disperse structure with loose packing of the particles. In the acylated mannan a tendency to the formation of the characteristic laminar structure elements are observed. Such laminae may be fairly thin (down to a thickness of 0.1–0.3 µm).

A polarographic method for the quantitative determination of narwedine inUngernia victoris and a chromatopolarographic method for its determination inU. severtzovii have been proposed.

Publisher Summary A limited number of new plants of the Amaryllidaceae has been examined over the past few years for alkaloids. In general, the few new compounds actually characterized have been obtained from plants that had already been investigated. A revival of interest in Galanthus and Ungernia spp. has been shown on the part of Russian workers who have turned their attention to the physical and chemical behavior of the major basic constituents. Structurally, the most relevant innovations are represented by the isolation from Crinum spp. of cherylline, possessing a new C 15 skeleton, and by the observation that tazettine and related alkaloids are extraction artifacts arising from base-catalyzed isomerization of the corresponding [2]benzopyrano[3,4- c ]indole derivatives. Physical investigations on Amaryllidaceae metabolites include the X-ray analysis of selected derivatives which proved to be of crucial importance in solving structural and stereochemical problems. The advantages of chemical ionization mass spectrometry over the electron impact mass spectrometric determination have been illustrated using natural compounds including Amaryllidaceae alkaloids.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents information on the alkaloids of the Amaryllidaceae . The chapter presents a table that summarizes the present state of knowledge, regarding the distribution of alkaloids, in Amaryllidaceae. From the demonstrated fungicidal action of lycorine, considered together with the quantity and localization of the alkaloids in the plants, they concluded that the alkaloid content contributes to the immunity displayed by this plant family towards Phymatotrichum root rot. The chapter discusses the chemistry of individual alkaloids. The chapter discusses pseudolycorine, sekisanine, crinamine, lycorenine, alkaloids from Buphane Disticha, etc. Most of the experimental work, bearing on the chemical structure of the alkaloids, suggested the presence of an isoquinoline residue in lycorine. Lycorine is a tertiary base that contains one ethylenic bond, two nonphenolic hydroxyl groups, and a methylenedioxy group but no methoxyl group. Tazettine, C 18 H 21 O 5 N, was isolated from the bulbs of Narcissus tazeita and was subsequently identified with “Base VIII,” from Lycoris radiata , arid also with “ungernine,” from the bulbs of Ungernia sewerzowii.