Betaceae

Wrolstad, R.E. and Heatherbell, D.A. 1974. Identification and distribution of flavonoids in Tamar-illo fruit (Cyphomandra betaceae (Cav.) Sendt.). J. Sci. Food Agric. 25 1221-1228. 

Cyphomandra invertase Cyphomandra betacea (Solanaceae) Invertase... 

Solamine (159) was found to be the principal component of Cyphoman-dra betacea. By treatment of solamine with n-hexanoyl chloride, the second component of the same plant was formed, which was also hydrolyzed to form -hexanoic acid and solamine (120). Solaurethine (163), an alkaloidal component of another plant in the Solanaceae, was obtained by treatment of solamine (159) with ethyl chloroformate (121). 

The interconversion of tropane bases in vivo was already mentioned (see Volume VI, p. 173) for D. ferox scions on Cyphomandra betacea so-called alkaloid-free plants were able to oxidize hyoscyamine (XXVIII) to hyoscine [(— )-XXII]. The course is highly stereospecific, since only 50% of atropine—i.e., of the levorotatory antimer—became oxidized (86). 

Tropane alkaloids are produced in the roots of plants and transported to the aereal portions. In grafting experiments, when aereal portions of Datura ferox, D. stramonium, D. innoxia, and Atropa belladonna were grafted onto roots of Cyphomandra betacea (normally not alkaloid containing), the aereal portions lacked alkaloids. In the reverse situation, aereal portions of C. betacea plants grafted onto roots of the other species contained tropane alkaloids (Waller and Nowacki, 1978). 

Cyphomandra betacea (family Solanaceae) This is a sub-tropical and tropical highland species. It is suitable for preserves and jams and also used as a substitute for tomatoes. 

Solaneae clade Solanum betaceum (Cav.) Sendt. sub nom. Cyphomandra betacea + (15)... 

Evans WC, Ghani A, Woolley VA (1972d) Atkaloids of Cyphormndra betacea Sendt. J Chem Soc Perkin 1 2017-2019... 

Solamine, 4A,4 A-bis(dimethylamino)-dibutylamine and its A/-hexanoyl derivative solacaproine (Eig. 5.1) were discovered as constituents of the roots of Solarium betaceum Cav. sub nom. Cyphomandra betacea (Cav.) Sendt., tree tomato (Evans et al. 1972). Solamine and its urethane (carbamate) derivative solaurethine (Fig. 5.1) were identified in the roots of S. carolinense L horse nettle (Evans and Somanabandhu 1977). 

S. betaceum Cav. [syn. Cyphomandra betacea (Cav.) Sendtn.], tree tomato/ tamarillo origin Bolivia/Argentina cultivated worldwide in subtropical regions alkaloids solasodine, tomatidenol... 

Figure 4.1a. Grafting experiments with Solanaceae. Grafting on Datura stramonium roots a—Datura stramonium control on D. stramonium b—Datura tatula on D. stramonium c— Cyphomandra betacea on D. stramonium d—Nicotiana tabacum on D. stramonium. In all cases the aerial part (scion) accumulated tropane alkaloids like Datura stramonium, except in b, where the alkaloid hyoscyamine was converted into hyoscine.

Figure 4.1b. Grafting experiments with Solanaceae. Alkaloid-rich plants grafted on alkaloid-poor roots a—Nicotiana tabacum on Solanum tuberosum b—Lycopersicon esculentum on S. tuberosum (control) c—Datura stramonium on Cyphomandra betacea d—Nicotiana glauca on L. esculentum. Grafts a, b, c, were alkaloid-free graft d produced only anabasine.

Demethylation of hyoscyamine has been studied extensively by Rom-eike (1962, 1964) (Figure 6.16). Norhyoscyamine has been found in low amounts in older plants of different Datura species. The AT-demethylation reaction has been observed in the shoots of Datura which had been made alkaloid-free by previous grafting on Cyphomandra betacea (see page 126, which deals with such grafting). These alkaloid-free shoots were fed with a... 

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