A Comparative Study of the Effects of Sparteine, Lupanine and Lupin Extract on the Central Nervous System of the Mouse

Abstract

Lupin is toxic because of its alkaloid content, sparteine and lupanine in particular. Although the pharmacological properties of sparteine are well known those of lupanine have not been much studied. This paper reports procedures for extraction, purification and crystallization of lupanine, and methods for the preparation of an extract for injection of Lupinus mutabilis Sweet, and for the determination of the acute toxicity and maximum non-lethal dose (DL0) of lupanine, sparteine and lupin extract in the mouse. The three substances were tested on the central nervous system (CNS) for locomotor activity, for interaction with specific drugs used for treatment of the CNS (the stimulant drugs amphetamine and pentetrazol and the depressant drugs pentobarbital and chlorpromazine) and for analgesic activity. The results indicate that lupanine and lupin extract are less toxic than sparteine and that at the doses studied the three products have a weak sedative effect on the CNS.

Effect of sparteine on status epilepticus induced in rats by pentylenetetrazole, pilocarpine and kainic acid

“…These findings are consistent with the results reported by Pothier et al (1998) for animals treated with Sp (13 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before PTZ (125 mg/kg, s.c.) administration, where Sp delayed the onset of convulsive behavior and prolonged the survival time.…”

“…In this respect, Sp is a QA obtained from most Lupine species (Wink, 1992(Wink, , 1993a. The role of Sp as an anticonvulsant drug was first observed in the PTZ model (Pothier et al, 1998), but subsequent studies have not been conducted until the present work.…”

“…doses of Sp to be lethal in 50% of animals (Yovo et al, 1984;Wink, 1994) and a lethality of 100% for doses of 100 mg/kg i.p. in mice (Pothier et al, 1998). In Wistar rats, 100% mortality was found for concentrations of 30 mg/kg s.c., administered at postnatal days 1-3 (Flores-Soto et al, 2006).…”

“…administration of Sp (13 mg/kg) 30 min before PTZ (125 mg/kg, i.p.) delayed the onset of convulsive behavior and increased the survival period (Pothier et al, 1998).…”

Evaluation of total quinolizidine alkaloids content in lupin flours, lupin‐based ingredients, and foods

“…They are metabolites synthesized by lupin plants and other species of the Genisteae family as a defense mechanism against insects and herbivores [10]. In mammals, QA intoxication is characterized by trembling, shaking, excitation, and convulsion [11]. The majority of acute toxicity studies were performed on lupanine and sparteine, the most common QAs: both showed moderate acute oral toxicity due to neurological effects leading to the loss of motor co-ordination and muscular control [12].…”