The genus Glaucium (Papaveraceae) is represented by seven species in Turkey. One of these seven species Glaucium leiocarpum Boiss. grows in many places in Anatolia (1). These species are rich in alkaloid content (2). Glaucium species commonly contain glaucine alkaloid, which is used in some European countries for its antitussive effect (3). In this study, the specimens of Glaucium leiocarpum were collected from Bucak-Burdur (Southwest part of Turkey) and Torul-Gümüşhane (Northeast of Turkey). Aerial parts of these plants were analyzed by GC-MS (Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry). GC-MS is a fast and reliable method for determination of the components in complex alkaloid mixtures. The alkaloids were detected by comparing their mass spectral fragmentation with standard reference spectra from the NIST MS search 2.0, or by GC/MS co-chromatography with previously isolated authentic standards. Moreover, data obtained from literature were used for the identification of the alkaloids. Totally seventeen alkaloids were determined in Glaucium leiocarpum alkaloidal extracts. In the specimen, collected from Torul-Gümüşhane, glaucine was the major component (% 82.17) and other important alkaloids were identified as N-Methyl laurotetanine and corydine. In the other specimen, collected from Bucak-Burdur region, isocorydine was the major component (% 87.56) and glaucine was identified in quite low amount (% 1.57).
Keywords
Papaveraceae, Glaucium, GC-MS, Isoquinoline alkaloids
Acknowledgements
This study was financially supported by TUBİTAK (Project No: 315S064) and EBILTEM (Project No: 2016/BİL/002). We thank Ege University, Faculty of Pharmacy, the Research Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FABAL) for facilitating GC-MS analysis.
References
1Cullen J. “Glaucium A.” in Davis P.H. (ed). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 1, 214, Edinburgh: University Press; 1965.
2Gözler T. Alkaloids of Turkish Glaucium Species. Planta Med 1982; 46: 179-180.
3Cortijo J, Villagrasa V, Pons R, Berto L, Marti-Cabrera M, Martinez-Losa M, Domenech T, Beleta J, Morcillo EJ. Brit J Pharmacol 1999; 127: 1641-1651.