title: Piperidine alkaloids from Piper methysticum.
abstract: Pipermethystine (1), 3alpha,4alpha-epoxy-5beta-pipermethystine (2) and awaine (3) were isolated from the aerial parts of kava (Piper methysticum G. Forster, Piperaceae) and identified by HRMS and NMR spectroscopic analysis. 1 was concentrated in the stem peelings and leaves. 2 and 3 are new alkaloids with 2 found only in cv. Isa among the 11 cultivars examined, and 3 occurred primarily in young leaves of all cultivars. The stem peelings have been used in recent years as a source of kavalactones in kava dietary supplement industry. Quantitative aspects of these piperidine alkaloids in P. methysticum and their potential activities on human physiology are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1955 East-West Road Agricultural Science 218, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dragull
authors.forename: Wesley Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Chung-Shih
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D006801:Humans; D020901:Kava / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010880:Piperidines / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D010880:Piperidines