Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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ALKALOID CONTENT OF SOME POTENTIAL ISOFLAVONOIDS SOURCES (NATIVE GENISTA SPECIES). LONG-TERM SAFETY IMPLICATIONS

AMELIA TERO-VESCAN1, CAMIL-EUGEN VARI2*, LAURIAN VLASE3

1.University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mureş, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, 38th Gheorghe Marinescu Street, Tîrgu Mureş, Mureş, 540139
2 .University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tîrgu Mureş, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacolgy and Clinical Pharmacy, 38th Gheorghe Marinescu Street, Tîrgu Mureş, Mureş, 540139
3 .University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Haţieganu", Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, 13th, Emil Isac Street, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj 400023

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The purpose of this study was to determine the quinolizidine alkaloids content – cytisine and sparteine – of some Genista extracts, using both extraction methods specific for alkaloids and for isoflavonoids. Genista species are known to be sources of isoflavonoids, but the risk of concomitant extraction of alkaloids was not assessed. A LCMS/ MS method with electrospray ionisation was used and cytisine levels between 0.093 to 6.588 mg/100 g dry plant were obtained, while sparteine was present only in trace amounts. This content is not toxic to humans at an isoflavonoids content recommended for daily intake, but is close to therapeutic levels (use to treat tobacco addiction). As a result of this study, unpurified extracts of native species of Genista are not recommended for phytoestrogenic effects.