אסיף מאגר המחקר החקלאי

Benzaldehyde is a precursor of phenylpropylamino alkaloids as revealed by targeted metabolic profiling and comparative biochemical analyses in Ephedra spp.

Year:

2012

Source of publication :

Authors :

Volume :

81

Co-Authors:

Krizevski, R., Department of Aromatic, Medicinal and Spice Crops, Newe ya'Ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel, Albert Katz Department of Dryland Agriculture, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer 84990, Israel
Bar, E., Department of Aromatic, Medicinal and Spice Crops, Newe ya'Ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
Shalit, O.R., Department of Biology, University of Haifa-Oranim, Tiv'on 36006, Israel
Levy, A., Department of Aromatic, Medicinal and Spice Crops, Newe ya'Ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
Hagel, J.M., Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
Kilpatrick, K., Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada, Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food, Canada
Marsolais, F., Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada, Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food, Canada
Facchini, P.J., Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
Ben-Shabat, S., Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
Sitrit, Y., Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Bergman Campus, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
Lewinsohn, E., Department of Aromatic, Medicinal and Spice Crops, Newe ya'Ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel

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Abstract:

Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are phenylpropylamino alkaloids widely used in modern medicine. Some Ephedra species such as E. sinica Stapf (Ephedraceae), a widely used Chinese medicinal plant (Chinese name: Ma Huang), accumulate ephedrine alkaloids as active constituents. Other Ephedra species, such as E. foeminea Forssk. (syn. E. campylopoda C.A. Mey) lack ephedrine alkaloids and their postulated metabolic precursors 1-phenylpropane-1,2-dione and (S)-cathinone. Solid-phase microextraction analysis of freshly picked young E. sinica and E. foeminea stems revealed the presence of increased benzaldehyde levels in E. foeminea, whereas 1-phenylpropane-1,2-dione was detected only in E. sinica. Soluble protein preparations from E. sinica and E. foeminea stems catalyzed the conversion of benzaldehyde and pyruvate to (R)- phenylacetylcarbinol, (S)-phenylacetylcarbinol, (R)-2-hydroxypropiophenone (S)-2-hydroxypropiophenone and 1-phenylpropane-1,2-dione. The activity, termed benzaldehyde carboxyligase (BCL) required the presence of magnesium and thiamine pyrophosphate and was 40 times higher in E. sinica as compared to E. foeminea. The distribution patterns of BCL activity in E. sinica tissues correlates well with the distribution pattern of the ephedrine alkaloids. (S)-Cathinone reductase enzymatic activities generating (1R,2S)-norephedrine and (1S,1R)-norephedrine were significantly higher in E. sinica relative to the levels displayed by E. foeminea. Surprisingly, (1R,2S)-norephedrine N-methyltransferase activity which is a downstream enzyme in ephedrine biosynthesis was significantly higher in E. foeminea than in E. sinica. Our studies further support that benzaldehyde is the metabolic precursor to phenylpropylamino alkaloids in E. sinica. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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