Polyamines cadaverine

The polyamines putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, and spermine, which are seen at elevated levels in some victims of cancer, were separated on a Technicon (The Technicon Company Chauncey, NY) TSM Amino Acid Analyzer packed with an 8% divinylbenzene-co-polystyrene sulfonated resin with post-column ninhydrin detection.111 Amines such as ethanolamine, noradrenaline, hexamethylene diamine, methoxytryptamine, spermine, and spermidine were separated from amino acids on a DC-4A cation exchange resin.112 A similar approach, using a Beckman Model 121M amino acid analyzer equipped with an AA-20 column, was also successful.113 A Polyamin-pak strong cation exchange column (JASCO) was eluted with a citrate buffer for the detection of putrescene, spermine, cadaverine, and 1,5-diaminohex-ane from rat thymus.114 A post-column o-phthaldehyde detection system was used. 

IEC was applied to determine biogenic polyamines such as putrescine (4a), cadaverine (4b), tyramine (5), histamine (6), spermidine (38), agmatine (39) and tryptamine (40), contained in aqueous trichloroacetic extracts of leafy vegetables, such as cabbage and lettuce. A cation exchange column loaded with potassium ions and a special buffer were used. Spermidine (38) was the major amine detected in this group (7-15 Xg/g fresh weight)144. 

The polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine have been identified in Jerusalem artichoke tubers (Serafini-Fracassini et al., 1980), though Phillips et al. (1987) found spermidine, diaminopropane, and cadaverine during the initial 24-h activation and onset of mitosis. Both research groups found a correlation between polyamine levels and early cell division, and that polyamines could induce a limited pattern of cell division. 

Other plant bioactive amines include a variety of neuroactive compounds and polyamines. Notable polyamines include cadaverine (1,5-diaminopentane), putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane), spermidine (NH2—(GH2)3—NH—(CH2)3—NH2), spermine (NH2—(CH2)3— NH-(CH2)3-NH-(GH2)3-NH2) and agmatine (NH2-C(=NH) CH2),-NH2). 

The production of berberine in cell suspension cultures of T. minus var. hypoleucum was greatly enhanced via the administration of spermidine. However, the utilization of other polyamines including cadaverine, putrescine, and spermine were not effective. Experimental results indicate that spermidine induces an increase in the production of ethylene, the latter of which is definitively associated with the biosynthesis of berberine [161]. 

The first successful polyamine separations were accomplished in the mid 70s after the introduction of surface-sulfonated cation exchangers. Fig. 3-164 displays a standard chromatogram with the separation of putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane) and cadaverine (1,5-diaminopentane) as well as spermidine (A-(3-aminopropyl-1,4-diaminobutane) and... 

Fig. 3-164. Separation of various polyamines. — Separator column IonPac CS1 eluent see Table 3-25 flow rate 0.6 mL/min detection fluorescence after reaction with o-phthaldialdehyde injection volume 20 pL solute concentrations 4.4 ppm putrescine, 5.1 ppm cadaverine, 7.3 ppm spermidine, and 10.1 ppm spermine.

Polyamines are low-molecular-weight molecules which are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and which fulfil essential needs for growth, division and differentiation. The most common poly amines are putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane tetramethylene-diamine), spermidine (N-(3-aminopropyl)-l,4-butane diamine) and spermine (N,N -bis(3-aminopropyl)-1,4-butane diamine). Cadaverine (1,5-diaminopentane) is also found in some micro-organisms (1,2). Most prokaryotes do not contain spermine but all cells contain putrescine and spermidine, in most cases in millimolar concentrations. 

The most commonly applied methods for the analysis of polyamines in erythrocytes make use of amino acid analyzers and HPLC techniques. A capillary gas chromatographic method with nitrogen-phosphorous detection was applied to the simultaneous determination of 1,3-diaminopropane, putrescine, cadaverine (Cad), spermidine (Sd), and spermine (Sp) in human erythrocytes. Blood samples, collected by venipuncture into EDTA containing Venoject tubes, were subjected to the removal of plasma by centrifugation and erythrocytes were washed three times with two volumes of 0.9% NaCl. The stability of polyamines in erythrocyte suspensions was also investigated. Quantification of polyamines was done by comparing the peak-area ratio of each analyte and its internal standard with that of the standard. The polyamine samples were eluted with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid solutions. The eluate was evaporated to dryness at 120°C under a stream of air and 200 each of acetonitrile and heptafluorobutyric anhydride were added. The isolation of derivatives... 

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