THE BIOGENESIS OF ALKALOIDS: XVI. HORDENINE METABOLISM IN BARLEY

Abstract

Hordenine-α-C14fed to sprouting barley was metabolized in the roots. Exhaustive fractionation of extracts from the dried roots yielded several substances of which only the hordenine, N-methyltyramine, and lignin were radioactive. Phenylalanine and tyrosine were inert. The results show that the methylation of tyramine to hordenine is at least partly reversible, but that the hordenine does not revert to tyrosine or phenylalanine. They also indicate that hordenine or N-methyltyramine become incorporated into the lignin.