Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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HPTLC EVALUATION OF THE PYROLLIZIDINE ALKALOID SENECIONINE IN CERTAIN PHYTOCHEMICAL PRODUCTS

OANA CRISTINA ŞEREMET1, OCTAVIAN TUDOREL OLARU*2, MIHAELA ILIE3, SIMONA NEGREŞ1, DAN BĂLĂLĂU3

”Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia St., Bucharest, Romania
1Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Department
2Botany and Cellular Biology Department
3Toxicology Department

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Petasites hybridus (butterbur), Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot) and Senecio vernalis (spring groundsel) are species traditionally used in phytotherapy that beside the therapeutic compounds, contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. A HPTLC method was developed using a new mobile phase (chloroform: methanol: ammonia 25%: hexane - 82: 14: 2.6: 20 v/v) that permited the separation of senecionine, one of most toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Although the literature quotes as being present in all three species, senecionine was identified only in S. vernalis. The identity of used vegetal material was confirmed by microscopic and macroscopic examination.