2. Academic Validation
  3. Quantitative Determination of Alkaloids in Lotus Flower (Flower Buds of Nelumbo nucifera) and Their Melanogenesis Inhibitory Activity

Quantitative Determination of Alkaloids in Lotus Flower (Flower Buds of Nelumbo nucifera) and Their Melanogenesis Inhibitory Activity

  • Molecules. 2016 Jul 19;21(7):930. doi: 10.3390/molecules21070930.
Toshio Morikawa 1 2,  Niichiro Kitagawa 3 4,  Genzoh Tanabe 5,  Kiyofumi Ninomiya 6 7,  Shuhei Okugawa 8 9,  Chiaki Motai 10 11,  Iyori Kamei 12,  Masayuki Yoshikawa 13,  I-Jung Lee 14,  Osamu Muraoka 15 16 17
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 2 Antiaging Center, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 3 Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 4 Koshiro Company Ltd., 2-5-8 Doshomachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0045, Japan. [email protected].
  • 5 Faculty of Pharmacy, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 6 Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 7 Antiaging Center, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 8 Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 9 Koshiro Company Ltd., 2-5-8 Doshomachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0045, Japan. [email protected].
  • 10 Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 11 Koshiro Company Ltd., 2-5-8 Doshomachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0045, Japan. [email protected].
  • 12 Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 13 Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 14 National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, 155-1, Sec. 2, Linong St., Beitou District, Taipei 11221, Taiwan. [email protected].
  • 15 Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 16 Antiaging Center, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
  • 17 Faculty of Pharmacy, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
PMID: 27447599 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21070930
Abstract

A quantitative analytical method for five aporphine Alkaloids, nuciferine (1), nornuciferine (2), N-methylasimilobine (3), asimilobine (4), and pronuciferine (5), and five benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids, armepavine (6), norarmepavine (7), N-methylcoclaurine (8), coclaurine (9), and norjuziphine (10), identified as the constituents responsible for the melanogenesis inhibitory activity of the extracts of lotus flowers (the flower buds of Nelumbo nucifera), has been developed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The optimum conditions for separation and detection of these 10 Alkaloids were achieved on a πNAP column, a reversed-phase column with naphthylethyl group-bonded silica packing material, with CH₃CN-0.2% aqueous acetic acid as the mobile phase and using mass spectrometry equipped with a positive-mode electrospray ionization source. According to the protocol established, distributions of these 10 Alkaloids in the petal, receptacle, and stamen parts, which were separated from the whole flower, were examined. As expected, excellent correlations were observed between the total alkaloid content and melanogenesis inhibitory activity. Among the active Alkaloids, nornuciferine (2) was found to give a carbamate salt (2'') via formation of an unstable carbamic acid (2') by absorption of carbon dioxide from the air.

Keywords

Nelumbo nucifera; carbamate salt; lotus flower; melanogenesis inhibitor; nornuciferine; nuciferine; quantitative analysis.

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