Phytochemical and Biological Investigation of Narcissus pseudonarcissus Cultivated in Egypt

Abstract

Amaryllidaceae is a well-known family for its high alkaloidal content. These alkaloids comprise a unique group of bases that have been found to occur in this family. The Amaryllidaceae alkaloids represent a large and still expanding group of isoquinoline alkaloids, the majority of which are not known to occur in any other family of plants. This article reports on the phytochemical investigation of the alkaloidal content of the flowers of clivia nobilis cultivated in Egypt which resulted in the isolation of four alkaloids; lycorine with pyrrolo{de}phenanthridine nucleus (lycorine-type) which is the common alkaloid of the amaryllidaceae family, clivatine and nobilisine, both with [2]benzopyrano (3,4-g) indole nucleus (lycorenine-type) and (+) 8-O-demethylmaritidine with 5,10b-ethanophenanthridine nucleus (crinine-type). Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the chloroform extract of the flowers of c. nobilis along with some of the isolated alkaloids has been studied.

Biological Investigation of Amaryllidaceae Alkaloid Extracts from the Bulbs of Pancratium trianthum Collected in the Senegalese Flora

“…Plates were dried for 5 min, and 100 μL of alkaloid extract was deposited. Plates were incubated at 37 °C for 18–24 h. The antibacterial activity of the alkaloid extract was then measured as an inhibition zone surrounding the well [ 63 ]. Cefotaxime was used as a positive control.…”

Chemical Principles of Boophone, Nerine, Crossyne, Clivia, Cryptostephanus, Haemanthus and Scadoxus of the South African Amaryllidaceae and Their Biological Properties

“…There was also an increase (up to 19 %) in the proportion of HeLa cells with sub-G1 amounts of DNA (apoptotic cells) following a 24 h treatment with distichamine (35) at its highest tested concentration (20 M) [13]. A fresh bulb EtOH extract of B. disticha afforded the -crinane alkaloids undulatine (33), buphanisine (36), buphanamine (37), 3-O-acetylnerbowdine (38) and 1-O-acetylbuphanamine (39), the last of which was determined to be a novel compound [14]. Interestingly, the first four of these alkaloids were prior shown to be isolates of the plant [8].…”

“…Interestingly, the first four of these alkaloids were prior shown to be isolates of the plant [8]. 1-O-Acetylbuphanamine (39) is unique in the sense that it possesses an acetyl moiety in its structure, which distinguishes it from its parent compound buphanamine (37) [14]. Both compounds, like distichamine (35) does, also reflect the C-ring double bond in the unusual C-2/C-3 position [14].…”

“…In contrast to most studies of the Amaryllidaceae where bulbs are used as the source materials, the investigation by Shawky (2016) involved the use of an EtOH extract derived from fresh flowers of Clivia nobilis Lindl. [39]. The process led to the isolation and identification of four alkaloids viz.…”

“…Since 2012 there have been five studies carried out on the chemical aspects of Clivia , mostly in regards to the ‘bush lily’ Clivia miniata (Lindl.) Bosse 15 , 31 , 39 , 40 , 41 . In the first instance, dried leaf and root EtOH extracts of C. miniata analysed by LC/MS were found to contain the isoflavonoids daidzin ( 75 ), genistein ( 76 ), isoformononetin ( 77 ), prunetin ( 78 ), glycitein ( 79 ), biochanin A ( 89 ), daidzein ( 90 ), formononetin ( 91 ), genistin ( 92 ), sissotrin ( 93 ), glycitin ( 94 ), ononin ( 95 ), puerarin ( 96 ) and tectoridin ( 97 ) ( Fig.…”