Harvesting canthinones: identification of the optimal seasonal point of harvest of Zanthoxylum chiloperone leaves as a source of 5-methoxycanthin-6-one

Abstract

This article is focused on the seasonal variation in the contents of 5-methoxycanthin-6-one from the leaves of Zanthoxylum chiloperone (Rutaceae). Based on the pharmacological interest presented by 5-methoxycanthin-6-one, its seasonal variation in Z. chiloperone leaves was analysed in order to determine the best time for harvesting, optimising the 5-methoxycanthin-6-one content. The seasonal dynamics of canthinone alkaloids can be the key to improve the isolation from natural sustainable sources, such as leaves. Complementarily, this study describes the phytochemistry of leaf from this Ruraceae species.

Keywords:

• phytochemistry
• seasonality
• sustainability
• HPLC–UV–MS
• MS–MS
• electrochemistry
• Rutaceae
• Zanthoxylum chiloperone
• alkaloids
• canthinone
• benzylisoquinoline
• alkylamide

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due also to K. Leblanc for the HPLC experiments, Dr N.B. Cech and A.B. Graves for MS–MS experiments to identify alkylamides, and Dr N. Soria for taxonomic identification. Thanks are due also to the ‘Itaipu Binacional’ for meteorological data providing. Finally, we thank Drs T.J.Massad and K. Spelman for their attentive lecture and fruitful commentaries and Dr François Roblot for the NMR assessment and many enriching discussions.

Additional information

Funding

The authors thank the European Community for financial support [Marie Curie Early Stage Training Fellowship of the European Community's Sixth Framework Programme: contract BioMedChem (for G.C-T.)].