Alkaloids of Adenocarpus hispanicus (Lam.) DC Varieties

Alkaloid extracts from different organs of Adenocarpus hispanicus ssp. hispanicus and Adenocarpus hispanicus ssp. gredensis were analyzed by capillary GC. Twenty-four compounds could be identified by the high sensitive method of GLC-MS: the pyrrolizidine alkaloids decorticasine, N-acetylnorloline and N-butyrylnorloline, the bipiperidyl alkaloid ammodendrine, the phenylethylamine tyramine and 19 quinolizidine alkaloids. In contrast to Adenocarpus complicatus, Adenocarpus foliolosus and Adenocarpus viscosus the alkaloid pattern of Adenocarpus hispanicus is characterized by the occurrence of quinolizidine alkaloids with sparteine predominating in the leaves and numerous dehydroderivatives of sparteine. Remarkable is the total absence of adenocarpine which was described as a main compound of the three former species. Our results strongly support the opinion that the genus Adenocarpus should be divided into two phytochemical groups. © 1992, Walter de Gruyter. All rights reserved.