Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA’s) are potentially toxic, naturally occurring secondary products typically found in the plant family Boraginaceae. As part of an alkaloid analysis of the Boraginaceae family, Cryptantha maritima from southern California was analyzed to establish a GC-MS PA profile. A preliminary analysis of the sample showed over 15 resolved PA’s. All alkaloids appear to be retronecine based compounds. The major compounds are consistent with the open 7, 9-diester structures where the 7-position is principally esterified with derivatives of angelic acid. Five previously examined North American annual Cryptantha species have displayed a diverse array of PA diester structures, especially in regards to the esterifying carboxylic acids. However, C. maritima appears to be esterified at the 9-position with latifolic acid instead of butanoic acid derivatives, such as trachelanthic acid. The chromatographically isolated PA’s will be structurally elucidated using GC-MS and NMR analyses. This is the first reported PA analysis of C. maritima.

Analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Cryptantha maritima

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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