PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Hojas y cáscara. 

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Hipotensor. 

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: A new alkaloid, sellowiine (N1-demethyl-20-deethyl suaveoline), was obtained from leaves of Rauwolfia sellowii collected at two different locations in southern Brazil. Also obtained were the known alkaloids, perakine, raucaffrinoline, vomilenine, 19α,20α-epoxy-akuammicine, picrinine and 12-demethoxytabernulosine. The NMR spectra of the alkaloids were assigned completely. 

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: E. de Brasil, N.E. de Argentina.

DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y MEJORAMIENTO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants and improvement of medicinal herbs

This work describes the bioconversion of (-)- and (+)-alpha-pinene (2,6,6-trimethyl-bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene), targeted at the prodn. of (-)- and (+)-verbenone (4,6,6-trimethyl-bicyclo (3.1.1) hept-3-en-2-one), resp., using Psychotria brachyceras and Raufolfia sellowii cell suspension cultures. P. brachyceras showed selectivity to (-)-alpha-pinene with 80.9% conversion (relative integrated area gas chromatog.-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)) of (-)-verbenone in 10-day-incubation, whereas R. sellowii was able to convert both pinene enantiomers (37.6% conversion of (-)-verbenone in 7-day-incubation and 32.2% conversion of (+)-verbenone in 10-day-incubation). In both systems trans-verbenol was formed as main product and then slowly biocatalyzed to verbenone. Verbenone were also present among the autoxidn. products during control expts., but in much lower amts. and accompanied by several byproducts, highlighting the usefulness of the biotransformation process. 

ÚLTIMOS AVANCES EN LA QUÍMICA Y ACTIVIDADES BACTERIOLÓGICAS EN LAS PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants, last advances on chemistry and bacteria activities on the medicinal herbs

1) R. sellowii was analyzed on the alkaloid contents.  The root bark showed 5 indole alkaloids: aricine, ajmaline, tetrahydroalstonine, ajmalicine and reserpine.  From a species com. sold as R. sellowii alkaloids chelerythrine, skimmianine, maculosidine and nitidine were isolated.  This chem. compn. indicates that this species does not belong to the Apocynaceae family.  Some alkaloids were analyzed by the SOS-chromotest as to their genotoxic activity in a prokaryotic system.  Skimmianine showed pos. reaction in presence of metabolizing mixt.

1) TOURSARKISSIAN, Martín. Plantas medicinales de Argentina : sus nombres botánicos, vulgares, usos y distribución geográfica. Buenos Aires : Hemisferio Sur, 1980, p.8.

2) FERREIRA BATISTA, et al. Indole alkaloids from Rauwolfia sellowii. Phytochemistry.1996, vol.41, nº3, p.969 - 973.
 
3) LIMBERGER, Renata Pereira, et al. Bioconversion of (+)- and (-)-alpha -pinene to (+)- and (-)-verbenone by plant cell cultures of Psychotria brachyceras and Rauvolfia sellowii. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology. 2007, vol.10, nº4, p.500-507.
 
4) VAN POSER, Gilsane; HENRIQUES, Amelia T.; HENRIQUES, Joao A. P. Characterization of alkaloids from commercial species of Rauwolfia sellowii Muell. Arg. Revista Brasileira de Farmacia. 1988, vol.69, nº1-3, p.14-18.