Optimasi Penggunaan High Shear Mixer pada Pembuatan Fraksi Alkaloid dari Daun Awar-awar (Ficus septica) dengan Desain Faktorial

Awar-awar (Ficus septica) is an Indonesian anticancer plant that contains alkaloids as the active compound. The n-hexane insoluble fraction (FTLH) is alkaloid-containing fraction obtained from the ethanolic extract of F. septica leaves (EEDFS) by fractionation using n-hexane. High shear mixer (HSM) can be used to optimize the separation processes, including fractionation. The application of HSM in the fractionation of EEDFS is affected by fractionation duration, amount of solvent per gram extract, and strirring strength. Thus, these parameters must be optimized to obtain the optimum condition for the production of FTLH with the highest alkaloid content. This study aimed to optimize the production of FTLH using HSM with factorial designs. The single factor experimental design was employed to determine the influence of the individual variable on the alkaloid content and to define the optimum range value of each variable. A full factorial design was used to determine the presence of interaction among the factors and to determine the optimal fractionation condition. The results showed that all investigated factors independently affected alkaloid contents. The solvent volume of 14-18 mL per gram extract, the fractionation duration of 2.5-5.0 minutes, and the stirring strength of 3000 rpm are the optimal range value of each factor. The optimal conditions were solvent volume of 14.0-14.4 mL/gram extract, fractionation duration of 2.5-2.7 minutes, and strirring strength at 3000 rpm. At the optimal condition, the total alkaloid content in the FTLH reached 0.1466% or 1.3 times higher than the extract (0.1128%).

Ergot Alkaloid Contents in Hybrid Rye are Reduced by Breeding

Contamination by ergot caused by the phytopathogenic fungus Claviceps purpurea is a constant threat to the whole rye value chain. Ergot alkaloids (EA) produced within the fungal sclerotia are toxic for humans and animals and are subjected to strict regulations in human food. Our main objective was to analyze whether less susceptible rye cultivars with a lower content of sclerotia also contain fewer ergot alkaloids (EA). We analyzed 15 factorial single crosses in multi-environmental trials with artificial inoculation for their ergot severity, the content of twelve EAs by HPLC, and the total ergot content by ELISA. The genotypes displayed a wide range of pollen shedding from fully sterile to fully fertile, of ergot severity expressed as percentage of sclerotia relative to the harvest (0.22–11.47%), and of EA contents when analyzed by HPLC (0.57–45.27 mg/kg. Entry-mean heritabilities were high throughout (0.87–0.98). The factorial analysis yielded a preponderance of male general combining ability (GCA) variances, the estimates for the females were smaller, although significant. EA contents measured by ELISA were, on average, seven times larger. The correlation between ergot severity and EA contents determined by HPLC was r = 0.98 (p ≤ 0.01) and only somewhat lower when analyzed by ELISA. In conclusion, less ergot prone rye genotypes also support lower EA contents.

Alkaloid Contents in Epichloë Endophyte-Infected Elymus tangutorum Sampled along an Elevation Gradient on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Alkaloids produced by endophytic fungi can have an important influence on agricultural ecology, and can often be affected by climatic factors. At present, there are no studies that have assessed the relationship between alkaloid production and elevation or climatic factors in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. To address this knowledge gap, we explored ergot alkaloid and peramine production in Epichloë-infected (E+) Elymus tangutorum collected from the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau and assessed the relationship between the concentration of these alkaloids and elevation. The effects of temperature and precipitation on these relationships were also investigated. The concentrations of ergonovine, ergine, and peramine ranged from 0.47–0.84, 0.35–1.72 and 9.18–13.00 µg·g−1, respectively. Fitted cubic regression curves describing an arc-pattern across the elevational series were statistically significant for ergine and peramine concentrations. The elevational trend in peramine concentration was linked to mean daily temperature, while the ergine elevational trend was linked to mean precipitation. Our results provide a new understanding of the climatic factors that influence the alkaloid production of endophytic fungi at different elevations in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

Chemical Analysis of Population Variability in Peganum Harmala (var. Harmala)

Both the primary and secondary metabolisms of higher plants are influenced by environmental conditions. Peganum harmala L. synthesise amazing diversity of secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, volatile oils, triterpenes or sterols. We have no detailed information on genetic chemical contents and particularly the fatty acid contents of this plant species in Iran. Therefore, population-based fatty acid and alkaloid analyses were conducted in four geographical populations. Seeds fatty acid analysis revealed linoleic acid, oleic acid and palmitic acid were the main components in seeds oil. The highest fatty acid component was the linoleic acid in both mature and premature seeds of four studied populations. Low levels of 18:3/18:2 ratio in mature seeds (>0.01) in comparison to premature seeds (> 0.04) were found. Grouping of the populations by WARD clustering, separated mature seeds from premature seeds. CCA plot of P. harmala populations based on fatty acid contents, revealing the influence of geographical features on population differentiation. The main alkaloid contents in premature and mature seeds were harmine and harmaline. PCoA plots of the studied populations based on alkaloid contents for both premature and mature seeds separated the populations from each other.

Hybrid Vigor for Alkaloid Contents in Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum L.)

This study aimed to determine suitable opium poppy hybrids over mid parent, better parent and standart check levels in alkaloid ratios. In the study, 36 hybrids were evaluated derived from nine varieties. The experiment was carried out in four replications in randomized block design in 2016 and 2017. Heterosis over mid parent values ranged from -4.91% to 65.43% for morphine, -76.91% to 278.05% for thebaine, -68.97% to 180.91% for noscapine, -53.60% to 150.45% for codeine, -93.55% to 289.61% for oripavine and -78.69% to 285.94% for papaverine. In the result study of 34 crosses recorded positive heterosis over mid parent for morphine content followed by 24 for thebaine, 23 for noscapine, 26 for codeine, 22 for oripavine and 15 for papaverine.

Comparative Phytochemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of Wild and Cultivated Alepidea amatymbica Eckl & Zeyh

There is a need to scientifically validate the claim that wild species of medicinal plants are more potent than the cultivated plants. Thus, this study evaluated the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of wild and cultivated Alepidea amatymbica. Acetone, methanol, and water extracts of the rhizome of wild and cultivated A. amatymbica were evaluated for total phenol, flavonol, flavonoid, tannin, proanthocyanidin, saponin, and alkaloid contents using spectrophotometric methods. In vitro antioxidant activity was measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), nitric oxide (NO), and hydrogen peroxide assays. The wild extracts had higher phytochemical contents in most of the assays than cultivated extracts. Total phenol in the wild extracts ranged from 32.30 to 117.8 mg GAE/g with the acetone extracts having the highest content while the water extracts were the least. The range in the total phenol of the cultivated species was 66.46 to 98.44 mg GAE/g with the methanol extracts having the highest content while water extracts was the least. The flavonoid content ranged from 55.01 to 99.09 mg QE/g and from 48.65 to 67.32 mg QE/g for the wild and cultivated plants, respectively. The alkaloid contents ranged from 14.70 to 17.80% in the wild species while it ranged from 11.98 to 13.21% in the cultivated species. The wild species also showed higher antioxidant activities in most of the assays evaluated. This study has implications for both pharmacological and conservation purposes.