Biosynthesis of alkaloids in Sophora alopecuroides

Summary The interconversions of the alkaloids of Sophora alopecuroides L. have been studied by feeding the plants with tritium-labelled alkaloids ([³H]sophoridine, [³H]pachycarpine, [³H]cytisine, [³H]isosophoridine, [³H]allomatrine, and [³H]N-methylcytisine). It has been established that the conformationally stable isomers of the alkaloids — isosophoridine and allomatrine — do not take part actively in the metabolism of the alkaloids. It has also been shown that the alkaloids of the sparteine group are converted into martrine alkaloids in the development of the plant. The methylation of cytisine to N-methylcytisine and the reverse transition have been shown experimentally in the plant organism.V. I. Lenin Tashkent State University. Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the GDR, Halle. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 244–247, March–April, 1977.