Assessment of potential for toxicity of Phalaris spp. via alkaloid content determination: P. coerulescens, a case example

• Published in: Phytochemical analysis Vol. 10; no. 3; pp. 113 - 118
• Main Authors: Anderton, Neil, Cockrum, Peter A., Colegate, Steven M., Edgar, John A., Flower, Kirsty
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-05-1999
• Subjects: carbolines; gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; high performance liquid chromatography; oxindoles; Phalaris; thin layer chromatography; tryptamines; tyramines
• ISSN: 0958-0344; 1099-1565
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1565(199905/06)10:3<113::AID-PCA438>3.0.CO;2-#

Species of Phalaris are useful pasture grasses but can exert neurotoxic and cardiotoxic effects on grazing animals. In view of the unresolved aetiology of the various forms of Phalaris intoxication and the continuing incidents of livestock poisoning on “low‐toxicity” varieties of Phalaris, a strategy is presented for the comprehensive and definitive determination of alkaloid content in Phalaris spp. using thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. This integrated approach to alkaloid determination has highlighted the presence of alkaloids previously not associated with Phalaris spp. toxicity. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.