Segundo Ríos

Evolution of alkaloid biosynthesis in the genus Narcissus.

In an attempt to reveal the relationships between alkaloid biosynthesis and phylogeny, we investigated by GC-MS the alkaloid patterns of 22 species and 3 hybrids (from 45 locations) from seven main sections of the genus Narcissus (Amaryllidaceae). The results indicate that the first alkaloids to evolve in the genus Narcissus were of the lycorine- and homolycorine-type. The alkaloid pattern of the Nevadensis section supports its recent separation from the Pseudonarcissus section. The plants of Narcissus pallidulus (Ganymedes section) show a predominance of Sceletium-type compounds, which are quite rare in the Amaryllidaceae family. Two successful evolutionary strategies involving alkaloid biosynthesis and leading to an expansion in taxa and occupied area were determined. Firstly, a diversification of alkaloid patterns and a high alkaloid concentration in the organs of the large Narcissus species (in the Pseudonarcissus section) resulted in an improved chemical defence in diverse habitats. Secondly, both plant size and alkaloid biosynthesis were reduced (in the Bulbocodium and Apodanthi sections) relegated to dry pastures and rocky places.

Biogeographical Patterns and Phenological Changes in Lapiedra martinezii Lag. Related to Its Alkaloid Diversity

The aim of this work was to investigate the alkaloid patterns of Lapiedra martinezii and their relation to biogeography and phenology focused in a phylogenetic comparison. Plants from 14 populations of L. martinezii, covering almost its entire distribution area, were subjected to morphological, ecological, and phytochemical analysis. Experiments for different alkaloid‐type content are proposed as a new tool for analysis of plant distribution. Several plants were transplanted for weekly observation of their phenological changes, and alkaloids from different plant organs were extracted, listed, and compared. The alkaloid pattern of L. martinezii comprises 49 compounds of homolycorine, lycorine, tazettine, haemantamine, and narciclasine types. The populations located in the north and south margins of the distribution area displayed alkaloid patterns different from those of the central area. Changes in these patterns during their phenological cycle may be related to a better defence for plant reproduction. L. martinezii is an old relict plant, and it has maintained some of the more primitive morphological features and alkaloid profiles of the Mediterranean Amaryllidaceae. The variations in alkaloid content observed could be interpreted in a phylogenetic sense, and those found in their phenological changes, in an adaptive one.

Ethnobotanical study of the sages used in traditional Valencian medicine and as essential oil: characterization of an endemic Salvia and its contribution to local development

This contribution was funded by a grant obtained in 2010 from the Institute for Catalan Studies for the study ‘Chemical characterization of the main sages used as a spice or for medicinal purposes in the Valencia region.’ The authors are grateful to the Institute for Catalan Studies for financial support through the Borsa d’estudi Paisos Catalans. Emeline Hahn acknowledges financial support from an ERASMUS Internship (FsTRASBO48).

Ethnopharmacological and Chemical Characterization of Salvia Species Used in Valencian Traditional Herbal Preparations

In Valencia Region (Spain), some wild and cultivated sages are used for medicinal purposes. Among them, Salvia officinalis subsp. lavandulifolia (SL) is widely employed and known for production of Spanish sage oil and herbal products. Nevertheless, it shares the market with S. blancoana subsp. mariolensis (SB) and, to a lesser extent, with their hybrid S. x hegelmaieri (SH). The knowledge on these two species is far low and confusion between them is possible. The aim of the present paper is to improve the ethnopharmacological, morphological and chemical knowledge of these sages, and to contribute to setting up quality specifications for improving identification and distinction from other Salvia species, such as, S. officinalis subsp. officinalis, S. x auriculata and S. microphylla var. microphylla. Samples were collected in Valencia Region and surrounding mountain areas during the ethnopharmacological field work. Twenty-nine medicinal uses were reported for SL, 13 of them being also recorded for SB. Of particular interest is a homemade liquor, used as digestive and known as “salvieta,” which is mainly prepared with SB. The macro- and microscopic characters are insufficient for identification of cut, crushed or powdered material. The study of the essential oil and a HPTLC (High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography) fingerprint of their extracts could help to distinguish SB from the other sages. The essential oil from dried aerial parts of SB (content: 1.8–4.5%) was characterized by GC-FID (Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector) and GC-MS (Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry) showing a composition close to that currently accepted for Spanish sage essential oil in the European Pharmacopoeia, ISO (International Standard Organization) and UNE (Una Norma Española) standards, with 1,8-cineole (13.7–45.7%) and camphor (12.1–28.6%) as major constituents. HPTLC methods, based on the analysis of hydroalcoholic and dichloromethane extracts, allowed to distinguish SB from other Salvia taxa currently found in Valencia region, except from its hybrid SH. This interdisciplinary study, that combines popular knowledge with botany and chemistry, allows to identify the raw herbal material from SB and to distinguish it from other Salvia species, ensuring a proper commercialization as herbal teas or for the preparation of spirits.

The west Mediterranean orophilous taxa of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae): a new species of subsection Hyssopifolia from south‐eastern Spain

Orophilous taxa of Sideritis sect. Sideritis (Lamiaceae) are rare, although highly diversified in south-eastern Spain. Most of them belong to subsections Hyssopifolia and Fruticulosa and show very reduced distribution areas in the summits of the highest Betic mountains. The inaccessibility of their habitats has meant that many of them have been described only within the last twenty years. In this context, a new species Sideritis tugiensis is described in subsection Hyssopifolia, from the Oromediterranean summits of Sierra de Segura (south-eastern Spain). It is a woody, cushion-shaped plant, resembling both S. carbonellis Socorro (subsect. Hyssopifolia) and S. glacialis Boiss., s.l. (subsect. Fruticulosa), though important morphological divergences warrant recognition at species rank. Data on morphology, ecology and chorology of the new species are reported, and affinities and differences with regard to close taxa from other subsections are presented. Evolutionary trends in the whole aggregate are briefly discussed.  2001 The Linnean Society of London

Borrichia Adans. (Asteraceae, Heliantheae), a new record for the Mediterranean flora.

Borrichia frutescens (L.) DC. is a halophilous shrub native mostly to salt marshes of the northern Caribbean basin (southeastern USA, Mexico, and Bahamas). It is reported for the Iberian and European floras from materials collected in the coastal warm territories of Alicante province (southeastern Spain). This seems to be the first record of the genus and the species in the Mediterranean basin of Europe, and also its first extra-American record. The taxon is briefly described, and chorological, ecological, and phytosociological data are also reported to facilitate further identification.