Determination of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids in snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii) from Taurus Mountains

The family Amaryllidaceae, well known for their ornamental bulbous members and its chemically important and bioactive alkaloids, has attracted the interest of phytochemists. Among these alkaloids, galanthamine has been known as an anticholinesterase inhibitor and it is used in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, antitumor, anti-inflammatory and antiprotozoal alkaloids have been isolated from different Amaryllidaceae species [1]. Among the Amaryllidaceae genera, Galanthus L. is represented in 14 taxa and one hybrid in Turkey [2]. In this study, the aerial parts and bulbs of Galanthus elwesii Hook. was collected from Akseki, Antalya. The alkaloid profile of the samples was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) using Thermo GC-Trace Ultra Ver: 2.0., Thermo MS DSQ II. A TR-5 MS (30 m x 0.25 mm x 0.25 µm) column was used and GC-MS system was operated in the electron impact mode (electron energy of 70 eV). Compound identification was performed with the help of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard library and, where available, by comparison with the retention times and mass fragmentation patterns of standard reference compounds. Totally, twenty-four different compounds were detected. Haemanthamine, galanthindole and 6-O-methylpretazettine have been found as major constituents, whereas galanthamine was detected in very small amounts in the tested samples.

Acknowledgements: This study was financially supported by Ege University Research Fund (Project No: 2013/ECZ/018). We thank Ege University, Faculty of Pharmacy, the Research Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FABAL) for GC-MS analysis.

References:

[1] Jin Z. Amaryllidaceae and Sceletium Alkaloids. Nat Prod Rep 2013; 30: 849 – 868

[2] Bishop M, Davis AP, Grimshaw J (Eds.). Snowdrops, A Monograph of Cultivated Galanthus. Cheltenham: Griffin Press Publishing Ltd; 2006: 9 – 63