MEXICAN WILD LUPINES AS A SOURCE OF QUINOLIZIDINE ALKALOIDS OF ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

Abstract

Quinolizidine alkaloids such as lupanine,
13-hydroxylupanine, multiflorine, angustifoline and sparteine, which are present in
the species of the genus Lupinus, have been
reported to have biopesticide and pharmacological activities. The aim of this study
was to quantify the content and variation
of the individual alkaloids in seeds of L.
mexicanus, L. exaltatus, L. montanus and
L. stipulatus collected in different states of
Mexico. Lupanine was the major (5.05 ±
0.37 mg/g) alkaloid found in L. mexicanus,
whereas sparteine was the main alkaloid
present in L. montanus (3.97 ± 0.49 mg/g).
Conversely, L. stipulatus contained only
small quantities of lupanine and sparteine
(0.1 ± 0.002 and 0.04 ± 0.01 mg/g, respectively). Angustifoline was detected only in L.
montanus, but in a very low amount (0.048
± 0.03). The results of this study indicate
that L. mexicanus and L. montanus can be
considered as important sources of lupanine
and sparteine for their use as natural pesticide or pharmacological agents.