Geographic variation of the isoquinoline alkaloids in Coptis trifolia

CHED 1297

Mukhaye Muchimuti, mmuch04@stlawu.edu, Departments of Biology and Chemistry, St. Lawrence University, 23 Romoda Drive, Canton, NY 13617, Aswini Pai, apai@stlawu.edu, Department of Biology, St. Lawrence University, 23 Romoda Drive, Canton, NY 13617, and Matthew C. Skeels, mskeels@stlawu.edu, Department of Chemistry, St. Lawrence University, 23 Romoda Drive, Canton, NY 13617.
Coptis is a genus of plants that contains medicinally important isoquinoline alkaloids (e.g., berberine, hydrastine, coptisine). It is used widely in several ethnopharmacoepia, including Chinese, Ayurvedic and Native American medicines. Currently, the Himalayan Coptis teeta and the Chinese Coptis chinensis are threatened by over-harvesting for the North American pharmaceutical industry. However, the commercial potential of the closely related, non-threatened North American species Coptis trifolia has not been fully explored. We are currently investigating how the alkaloid content in Coptis trifolia varies between old growth and secondary growth forests. Alkaloid levels in plants can vary due to biological and environmental factors such as heredity, herbivory stress, elevation, light, and soil nutrients. Microwave assisted extraction (MAE) of Coptis trifolia rhizome samples followed by HPLC analysis of the alkaloids on reverse phase-C18 column provided an accurate method for the determination of key alkaloids in Coptis trifolia including berberine and coptisine.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Medicinal Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008