Norlittorine and norhyoscyamine identified as products of littorine and hyoscyamine metabolism by 13C-labeling in Datura innoxia hairy roots

The presence of two compounds, norlittorine and norhyoscyamine, has been reported in leaves and roots of Datura innoxia; however their metabolic origin in the tropane alkaloid pathway has remained unknown. Precise knowledge of this pathway is a necessary pre-requisite to optimize the production of hyoscyamine and scopolamine in D. innoxia hairy root cultures. The exact structure of norlittorine and norhyoscyamine was confirmed by LC-MS/MS and NMR analyses. Isotopic labeling experiments, using [1-C-13]-phenylalanine, [1'-C-13]-littorine and [1'-C-13]-hyoscyamine, combined with elicitor treatments, using methyl jasmonate, coronalon and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, were used to investigate the metabolic origin of the N-demethylated tropane alkaloids. The results suggest that norlittorine and norhyoscyamine are induced under stress conditions by conversion of littorine and hyoscyamine. We propose the N-demethylation of tropane alkaloids as a mechanism to detoxify cells in overproducing conditions. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.