title: 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid and 1,2, 3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid in fruits.
abstract: 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (THCA) and 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (MTCA), as two diastereoisomers (1S,3S and 1R,3S), occurred in commercial fruits. Citrus fruits exhibited the highest content; other fruits contained very low levels or none at all. The content of MTCA was as follows: orange, 0.35-2.47 microg/g; lemon, 0.15-2.05 microg/g; grapefruit, 1.12-8.37 microg/g; mandarin, 0.57-2.5 microg/g; banana, nd-0.74 microg/g; pear, nd-0.017 microg/g; grape, 0.01-0.22 microg/g, tomato, 0.05-0.25 microg/g; and apple, nd-0.012 microg/g). THCA, if present, usually occurred at <0.05 microg/g. Fruit ripening and softening during storage were accompanied with a significant increase of MTCA, in both pears and bananas. Those and previous results confirm that foods are an important source of tetrahydro-beta-carbolines in humans.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Fermentaciones Industriales, CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain. Ifiht16@fresno.csic.es
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Herraiz
mesh_terms: D002243:Carbolines / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D002243:Carbolines; C038114:1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid; C054910:1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid