Seasonal study of the alkaloid pattern of Huperzia saururus with habitat in Córdoba province (Argentina).

M.G. ORTEGA, A.M. AGNESE, G.E. BARBOZA, J.L. CABRERA

Journal of the Argentine Chemical Society

Año: 2007

0365-0375

Abstract: Previous chemical studies on specimens of Huperzia saururus (Lam.) Trevis. collected in different parts of the world showed signifficant  differences in the alkaloid content. In Córdoba (Argentina) the chemical pattern was characterized by the presence of three main alkaloids: sauroine, sauroxine, and 6-hydroxylycopodine. This fact remarkably differs from the patterns informed for specimens collected in Quito (Ecuador), Kahuzi and Ruwenzori (Zaire), and Sabyinyo (Rwanda) where their marker alkaloids are clavolonine and lycopodine that in time differ from those mentioned by other authors of unknown specimen provenance. As a consequence, we undertook a seasonal study byanalyzing the qualitative-quantitative content of alkaloids by using GLC-MS and GLC-FID respectively, of specimens collected in Cordoba (Argentina) at the same site during the four seasons of the year in order to investigate if the discrepancies were a result of biosynthetic modifications due to seasonal reasons. Obtained results did not confirm the proposed hypothesis since the chemical pattern showed no significant variations among the different seasons of the year. Thus, the chemical differences among ower results and the studies in other parts of the world could complement the systematic antecedents existent to help to resolve on the possibility that more than one species has been involved in the different investigations.