Alkaloids from Chelidonium majus growing in Georgia

Abstract

Chelidonium majus L. (Papaveraceae) is broadly distributed over Georgia. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, the alkaloids of which are known for their cytotoxic activity [1]. The alkaloids chelidonine, protopine, L-stylopine, chelerythrine, and berberine were isolated earlier during studies of the species growing in Georgia [2].Herein we communicate results of further research on the composition of alkaloids in C. majus. The specimen was the aerial part of the plant collected near Tbilisi during seed ripening.Ground herb (2 kg) was extracted with EtOH by standing at room temperature. The organic solvent was distilled off. The thick extract was treated with HCl (5%) and then made basic using NH 4 OH (25%). Alkaloids were extracted with CHCl 3 to afford an amorphous total that was separated over a column of silica gel with gradient elution by CHCl 3 :MeOH (1:0o0:1, v/v) to afford two bases that were identified based on an analysis of spectral data compared with the literature. 1 H and 13 C NMR spectra were recorded in CDCl 3 + CD 3 OD on a Bruker-400 spectrometer (400 MHz for 1 H; 100, for 13 C).HPLC analysis of the total was performed on an Agilent-1100 chromatograph using Silicagel-ODS (250 u 6 mm), 25°C, mobile phase H 2 O + AcCN (pH 7.5) at flow rate 1 mL/min. According to an analysis of the results and a comparison with the literature, 2 was identified as tetrahydroberberine [3,5]. REFERENCES1.