Planta Med 2011; 77 - PA43
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1282239

Raman spectroscopy analysis of tobacco alkaloids

A Kaczor 1, K Gorz 1, JC Dobrowolski 2, M Baranska 1
  • 1Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 3, 30–060 Krakow, Poland
  • 2Laboratory for Theoretical Methods and Calculations, National Medicines Institute, Chełmska 30/34, 00–725 Warsaw, Poland; Spectroscopy and Molecular Modeling Group, Industrial Chemistry Research Institute, Rydygiera 8, 01–793 Warsaw, Poland

Tobacco plants and products contain alkaloids, mainly nicotine, beside e.g., nornicotine, cotinine, and anabasine. The latter are also metabolites of nicotine produced in the liver by cytochrome P450.

The aim of our research was in situ investigation of tobacco alkaloids directly in the plant as well as in some pharmaceutical products. Two-dimensional Raman maps of nicotine distribution were obtained with 1064nm excitation wavelength, the spatial resolution of 50–200µm and analyzed with the aid of quantum-chemistry calculations (B3LYP/6–311++G(d,p) and B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ). Additionally, calculations were performed for salts and protonated forms of nicotine. Distribution of nicotine was obtained by integration of characteristic bands of the compound over the measured surface.

Acknowledgement: This research was supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and High Education (grant no. N204013635). Computational center „Cyfronet“ (Krakow, Poland) is acknowledged for CPU time.