Metabolism of Sinapine in Mustard Plants. I. Degradation of Sinapine into Sinapic Acid & Choline.

In 1825 Henry an(l Garot ( 5) isolated an alkaloidlal amine from black mustard seedls. This new natural product was namiied sinapine, an(l in 1897 Gadamer (4) propased its structure (fig 1) to be that of the choline ester of sinapic aci(l. Later studies (10, 11) showed that siniapine is wi(lelv (listributedl among members of the family Cruciferae. This compoun(l appeared to be of bioclhelmlical interest, since it could serve as a ready-stored supply of choline and sinapic acid for the young plant. Both compounds have beeni slhow-n to be imllportant metabolites of higlher plants (2 X8). There is supporting evi(lence that cholinie in higher planits plays a 40-miiesh screen. Wlien vegetative miiaterial was used, the plants were first drie(l in a ventilated oven at 65 C for 1 hour and then groun(l. To check possible decomposition of sinapine (luring the drying process, (luplicate samiiples of (Irie(i ani(l fresh material were extracted andl each extract w-as assayed three times. The results of these assays are presented in table I. The close agreemlent between the assay values of the dried and fresh material indicated that no loss of sinapine occurredl (luring (lrying.