Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies against retrorsine were established using a retrorsine-hemisuccinate::bovine-thyroglobuline
conjugate as antigen for immunization. In competitive enzyme-linked immunoassays the
specificity of the obtained antibodies was tested with 20 different pyrrolizidine
alkaloids. Among these the alkaloids acetylgynuramine, gynuramine, integerrimine,
neoplatyphylline, platyphylline, rosmarinine, senecionine, and seneciphylline were
able to bind the antibody. There was no cross-reactivity with the alkaloids senkirkine,
angeloyl-heliotridine, heliotridine, axillarine, anacrotine, monocrotaline, madurensine,
otosenine, retronecine, tussilagine, triangularine, and jacoline as well as with seneciphylline
N-oxide. From this antigen spectrum it can be concluded that besides the necic structure
itself the dominant and discriminative epitope consists of the exocyclic ethylidene
group of the various diesters.
Key words
Pyrrolizidine alkaloid - monoclonal antibody - ELISA
