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Ephedra Alkaloids-Alkaloids Derived by Amination Reaction: Phenylalanine Derived

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Natural Products

Abstract

Ephedrine is an alkaloid derived from various plants in the genus Ephedra (family Ephedraceae). The alkaloid is comparable in actions to adrenaline. It has many medicinal and pharmaceutical applications; it is a bronchodilator to relieve shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, and cough associated with bronchial asthma. Amino acids such as phenylalanine and tyrosine serve as the precursors for a large number of alkaloids, including ephedrine, capsaicin, and colchicines. Although ephedrine is produced by chemical synthesis or enzymatic methods, it is also obtained from Ephedra species. This chapter provides general information about Ephedra, ephedrine, and its derivatives, discusses methods to analyze them, and finally presents achievements in this area of science.

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Abbreviations

2 4-D:

2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

BA:

Benzyl adenine

BAP:

6-Benzylamino purine

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

IBA:

Indole-3-butyric acid

Kin:

Kinetin

MS:

Murashige and Skoog’s medium

NAA:

1-naphthaleneacetic

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. G. S. Davtyan Institute of Hydroponics Problems, National Academy of Sciences Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, 375082, Armenia

    Ali Parsaeimehr Ph.D. (Candidate of Biological Sciences) & Elmira Sargsyan

Authors
  1. Ali Parsaeimehr Ph.D.
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  2. Elmira Sargsyan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali Parsaeimehr Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, M.L. Sukhadia University, Durga Nursery Road, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan, India

    Kishan Gopal Ramawat

  2. Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences, Biological-Active Plant Substances Study, University of Bordeaux, 210 Chemin de Leysotte CS 50008, Villenave d'Ornon, 33882, France

    Jean-Michel Mérillon

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Parsaeimehr, A., Sargsyan, E. (2013). Ephedra Alkaloids-Alkaloids Derived by Amination Reaction: Phenylalanine Derived. In: Ramawat, K., Mérillon, JM. (eds) Natural Products. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22144-6_29

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