The structure of vinerine and vineridine
Summary1. The epigeal part ofV. erecta gathered in the Tashkent Oblast in the early vegetation period contains a mixture of alkaloids (2.7%). Separation of the total alkaloids gave vincanine, vincanidine, vinervine, akuammine, kopsinine, pseudokopsinine, and the new bases vinerine and vineridine.2. The structure of vinerine has been established by a study of the IR, NMR, and mass spectra. Vineridine is isomeric with vinerine at C3 and C7.3. A new base, hydroxyindole reserpinine, has been obtained from reserpinine.
THE STRUCTURE AND STEREOISOMERISM OF THREE MITRAGYNA ALKALOIDS
Isorhyncophylline, the isomer into which rhyncophylline is convertible, has been found to occur in nature. Both bases are interconvertible. Isorhyncophylline on hydrolysis with dilute hydrochloric acid is converted to an aldehyde reducible to isorhyncophyllol. When the aldehyde is reduced in the Wolff–Kishner reaction, it is also isomerized and the product is isorhyncophyllane. This reduction product is oxidized by mercuric acetate to a neutral dilactam which still contains the oxindole carbonyl and further contains a new lactam carbonyl present in a six-membered ring. Reduction of the dilactam with lithium aluminum hydride gave a product having the spectroscopic properties of an indole. This confirms the assumption previously made that in rhyncophylline, ring C is five-membered. The isomerization of rhyncophylline, mitraphylline, and formosanine is described. Formosanine has been shown to be identical with uncarine-B and thus uncarine-A is the iso base derivable from formosanine.
Inhibition of Root Growth and Polyamine Metabolism in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Seedlings Under Cadmium and Copper Stress
Although sunflower is usually regarded as a highly tolerant crop, impairment of root growth at initial stages of plant development may result in poor crop establishment and higher susceptibility to pathogen attack. In order to evaluate if Cd2+ and Cu2+ may impact on sunflower germination and initial root development, a pot experiment under controlled conditions was carried out. Possible involvement of polyamine metabolism in sunflower response to these stressors was also investigated. Although Cd2+ and Cu2+ treatments affect neither seed germination nor radicle emergence, sunflower seedlings grown in the presence of these heavy metals showed significant inhibition of root growth, being this inhibition greater for Cd2+. Both metals caused significant increases in proline contents at the highest concentrations tested (0.5 and 1 mM), and these increments were more pronounced for Cd2+ treatments, especially between days 3 and 10. Metals also increased putrescine (Put) contents at all concentrations assayed from the seventh day onward, causing no variations on this polyamine time-course pattern. Spermine and spermidine contents, however, were increased only by 1 mM Cd2+. Arginine decarboxylase seems to have been the enzyme responsible for Put increases under both metal treatments. This work demonstrates that initial root growth of sunflower seedlings may be significantly impaired in Cd2+ or Cu2+ contaminated soils. It also shows that polyamines are key biological compounds, which are probably involved in signaling pathways triggered under stress environmental conditions.