title: Aporphine alkaloid contents increase with moderate nitrogen supply in Annona diversifolia Saff. (Annonaceae) seedlings during diurnal periods.
abstract: Aporphine alkaloids are secondary metabolites that are obtained in low levels from species of the Annonaceae family. Nitrogen addition may increase the alkaloid content in plants. However, previous studies published did not consider that nitrogen could change the alkaloid content throughout the day. We conducted this short-term study to determine the effects of nitrogen applied throughout the diurnal period on the aporphine alkaloids via measurements conducted on the roots, stems and leaves of Annona diversifolia seedlings. The 60-day-old seedlings were cultured with the addition of three levels of nitrogen (0, 30 and 60 mM), and alkaloid extracts were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The highest total alkaloid content was measured in the treatment with moderate nitrogen supply. Further, the levels of aporphine alkaloids changed significantly in the first few hours of the diurnal period. We conclude that aporphine alkaloid content increased with moderate nitrogen supply and exhibited diurnal variation.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratorio de Fisiología y Química Vegetal, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas , Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas , Tuxtla Gutiérrez , Mexico.|b Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Coyoacán , Mexico.
authors.forename: José Agustín
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Orozco-Castillo
authors.affiliation: c Instituto de Ecología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Delegación Coyoacán , Mexico.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cruz-Ortega
authors.affiliation: d Instituto de Química , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Delegación Coyoacán , Mexico.
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez-Vázquez
authors.affiliation: a Laboratorio de Fisiología y Química Vegetal, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas , Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas , Tuxtla Gutiérrez , Mexico.
authors.forename: Alma Rosa
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: González-Esquinca
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis*; D031041:Annona / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001060:Aporphines / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D036226:Seedlings / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D001060:Aporphines; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Liriodenine; atherospermidine; diurnal variation; hydroponic; lysicamine