title: A rapid and simple method for the determination of psychoactive alkaloids by CE-UV: application to Peganum Harmala seed infusions.
abstract: The β-carboline alkaloids of the harmala (HAlks) group are compounds widely spread in many natural sources, but found at relatively high levels in some specific plants like Peganum harmala (Syrian rue) or Banisteriopsis caapi. HAlks are a reversible Mono Amino Oxidase type A Inhibitor (MAOI) and, as a consequence, these plants or their extracts can be used to produce psychotropic effects when are combined with psychotropic drugs based on amino groups. Since the occurrence and the levels of the HAlks in natural sources are subject to significant variability, more widespread use is not clinical but recreational or ritual, for example B. caapi is a known part of the Ayahuasca ritual mixture. The lack of simple methods to control the variable levels of these compounds in natural sources restricts the possibilities to dose in strict quantities and, as a consequence, limits its use with pharmacological or clinical purposes. In this work, we present a fast, simple, and robust method of quantifying simultaneously the six HAlks more frequently found in plants, i.e., harmine, harmaline, harmol, harmalol, harmane, and norharmane, by capillary electrophoresis instruments equipped with the more common detector UV. The method is applied to analyze these HAlks in P. Harmala seeds infusion which is a frequent intake form for these HAlks. The method is validated in three different instruments in order to evaluate the transferability and to compare the performances between them. In this case, harmaline, harmine, and harmol were found in the infusion samples. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Métodos Analíticos, LIDMA and División Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNLP-CONICET, La PlataLaboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Métodos Analíticos, LIDMA and División Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNLP-CONICET, La Plata, B1900AJL, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tascón
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica, Instituto de Investigación en Nutrición y Seguridad Alimentaria, INSA-UB, Universidad de Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benavente
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica y Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, e Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas, CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Nora M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Vizioli
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Métodos Analíticos, LIDMA and División Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNLP-CONICET, La PlataLaboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Métodos Analíticos, LIDMA and División Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, UNLP-CONICET, La Plata, B1900AJL, Argentina.
authors.forename: Leonardo G
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4834-1811
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Gagliardi
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis; D002243:Carbolines / Q000032:analysis; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006246:Harmaline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis*; D006247:Harmine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis*; D032443:Peganum / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D002243:Carbolines; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; C007904:harmalol; C001326:harmol; D006247:Harmine; C010262:norharman; D006246:Harmaline
keywords: Peganum harmala; capillary electrophoresis; optimization; β-carboline, harmala alkaloids