African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (21), pp. 2487-2492, 5 November 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Determination of isoquinoline alkaloids contents in two Algerian species of Fumaria (Fumaria capreolata and Fumaria bastardi)

Fadila Maiza-Benabdesselam¹*, Mohamed Chibane¹, Khodir Madani¹, Henry Max² and Sandrine Adach³

¹Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, 3BS Laboratory A. Mira University, Bejaia 06000, Algeria.

²Faculty of Pharmacy, UMR 7565 CNRS, Henri Poincaré University, Nancy 1, Nancy 54001, France.

³Faculty of Sciences, UMR 7565 CNRS, Henri Poincaré University, Nancy 1, Nancy 54001, France.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: fadilamaiza@yahoo.fr. Tel: 0021371449217. Fax: 0021334214762.

Accepted 19 October, 2007

This paper describes a fast and efficient procedure to separate and identify isoquinoline alkaloids from methalonic extract of two Algerian Fumaria (Fumariacea) species (Fumaria capreolata L. and Fumaria bastardi L.) used in traditional medicine in cases of hepatobiliary disfunction and diarrhoea. Total quinolizidine alkaloid contents were 426 mg/100 g (F. capreolata) and 521 mg/100 g (F. bastardi). The isoquinoline alkaloids, stylopine, protopine, fumaritine, fumaricine, fumarophycine, fumariline and fumarofine were determined by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in aerial parts of both Fumaria capreolata and Fumaria bastardi. In the first species, an ester of phtalic acid was identified, and in the second species a peak seems to be a benzophenanthridine, probably a dehydro derivative and three other peaks which were identified as phtalidisoquinoline, one of them seems to be dihydrofumariline. The chemotaxonomic significance of the results is discussed.

Key words: Fumaria capreolata, Fumaria bastardi, isoquinoline alkaloids, gas chromatography – mass spectrometry, chemotaxonomy.