Ecological Insights to Track Cytotoxic Compounds among Maytenus ilicifolia Living Individuals and Clones of an Ex Situ Collection.

ABSTRACT: Biodiversity is key for maintenance of life and source of richness. Nevertheless, concepts such as phenotype expression are also pivotal to understand how chemical diversity varies in a living organism. Sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids (SPAs) and quinonemethide triterpenes (QMTs) accumulate in root bark of Celastraceae plants. However, despite their known bioactive traits, there is still a lack of evidence regarding their ecological functions. Our present contribution combines analytical tools to study clones and individuals of Maytenus ilicifolia (Celastraceae) kept alive in an ex situ collection and determine whether or not these two major biosynthetic pathways could be switched on simultaneously. The relative concentration of the QMTs maytenin (1) and pristimerin (2

SUBMITTER: Pavarini DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6471723 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature