Alkaloids of Datura suaveolens

The alkaloid mixture of Datura suaveolens shows distinct differences compared with that of other tree daturas. Aerial parts contain in addition to hyoscine, apohyoscine, norhyoscine, atropine and noratropine, a relatively high proportion of tigloyl esters—3α,6β-ditigloyloxytropan-7β-ol, 6β-tigloyloxytropan-3α,7β-diol,3α-tigloyloxytropan-6β,7β-diol (meteloidine) and (—)- and (±)-3α-tigloyloxytropan-6β-ol. The roots contain hyoscine, meteloidine, atropine, littorine, 3α-acetoxytropane, 6β-(α-methylbutyryloxy)-3α-tigloyloxytropane, 3α,6β-ditigloyloxytropan-7β-ol, 3α-tigloyloxytropan-6β-ol, tropine and cuscohygrine. Other, as yet uncharacterized, bases are present in the plant. Norhyoscine is a principal alkaloid of the corollas.     

Biosynthesis of tropane ester alkaloids in Datura

Datura meteloides plants were fed via the roots with [1″,2′-¹⁴C]tigloyl hygroline and as a control, [2′-¹⁴C]hygrine. After a week the alkaloids were isolated and degraded. Despite hydrolysis of the putative precursor it was possible, by label ratio, to show that esterification occurs after, and not before, the tropane ring has been synthesized. Hygroline is proposed as a possible intermediate.