Genista species

Of biogenetic interest is the content of retamine in Genista species at different stages of growth. In spring the green plants contain mostly (— )-sparteine but in the fall, and particularly in older plants, retamine is the main constituent (91). 

This example concerns the distribution of alkaloids in two species from Genista sect. Erinacoides (Fabaceae) (Gibbs, 1966), namely G. lobelii DC. and G. salzmannii DC.,... 

In addition to lupines, poison-hemlock and Nicotiana spp., other plant species of the genera Genista, Prosopis, Lobelia, Cytisus, Sophora, Pinus, Punica, Duboisia, Sedum, Withania, Carica, Hydrangea, Dichroa, Cassia, Ammondendron, Liparia, and Colidium contain potentially toxic and teratogenic piperidine alkaloids. Many plant species or varieties from these genera may be included in animal and human diets (Keeler and Crowe, 1984). 

Several derivatives of 2,3 -bipyridine, where both rings are reduced, are also alkaloids present, for example, in Adenocarpus, Ammodendron, Astroca-sia, Coelidium, Genista, Liparia, Lupinus, and Retama species. Ammoden-drine has structure 16 (R = CHj, R = isoorensine has structure 16... 

Material Blossoms of any of several species including Canary Island broom (Genista canariensis), Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), and Spanish broom (Spartium junceum). 

Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom) D/jpferyx species (tonka beans) Genista tinctoria (dyer s broom) Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice)... 

Genista tinctoria (dyer s broom) Gentiana species (gentian)... 

This alkaloid - CVIII), which is present in virtually all species of Genista (1) has lien the subject of many investigations. It had been long known that its nuclear structure was that of a hydroxy sparteine but location of the hydroxyl offered much difficulty. The hydroxyl is secondary (88). The following and other reactions are fully explicable on the structure (XCVIII) which is 12a-hydroxysparteine (84-86). 

Sparteine also occurs, in association with retamine, in Catalonian Genista triflora, Cytisus purgans, and Anagyris foetida.1 The last two species also contain anagyrine (6), while A. foetida also contains cytisine. 

A survey has been contributed of the alkaloid content of 16 species of Spanish and Portuguese Leguminosae belonging to the Cytisus, Genista, Echinospartium, Stauracanthus, and Adenocarpus genera 13 quinolizidine or dipiperidine bases were identified, and their distribution in the various organs of the plants determined. 

Quinolizidine alkaloids occur in the species Lupinus, Cytisus and Genista of the papilionaceae. Lupinine 24, cytisine 25 and sparteine 26, the main alkaloid in common broom Cytisus... 

G. cinerea thus proves to be a plant of some chemotaxonomic interest, because its major alkaloidal constituents are esters of 13-hydroxylupanine, compounds which are characteristic of the genus Cytisus rather than of Genista. In Cytisus species, for instance, the biosynthetic sequence lupanine, 13-hydroxylupanine, 13-hydroxylupanine esters, is often observed. However, G. cinerea also contains alkaloids characteristic of the Genista genus, e.g. anagyrine and hystrine, although these are only present in very small amounts, and in fact anagyrine was not encountered in the extracts from some samples. ... 

Sparteine 115 and lupanine 116, containing a tetracyclic bis-quinolizidine ring system, are alkaloids of the legumes (Fabaceae) species of lupin (Gems Lupinus) and broom (genus Cytisus, Sarothamnus, Genista). Sparteine 115 has been used in the management of cardiac arrhythmias [61]. 

Besides avoiding, some insects can tolerate the defense chenustry of their host. The potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata) lives on Solanum species containing steroidal alkaloids, which are tolerated but not stored by this species. The bruchid beetle, Bruchidius villosus, predates seeds of QA rich plants, such as Laburnum anagyroides. This beetle eliminates most of the dietary cystisine with the faces. Certain aphids can store the dietary alkaloids, for example, QA in Aphis cytisorum, A. genistae, and Macrosiphum albifrons and PA in Aphis jacobaeae and A. cacaliaster [70]. 

In addition, Farnsworth et al. [28, 29] also detected these compounds in more than 300 different plants, including many species of Leguminosae like Baptisia, Cytisius, Dalbergia, Genista, Lupinus, Medicago, Phaseolus, Teline, Trifolium, and Ulex and in several species of Rosaceae like Prunus. In Western countries, these plants were traditionally used as sources of antifertility agents. 

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