Quantitative identification of Atropine and Scopolamine in wild Datura (Datura metel) using HPLC

The purpose of this study was to determine the atropine and scopolamine content in different parts of Datura plant, (Datura metel L.), growing wild in Syria. These alkaloids were separated and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode-array detector (DAD), and fluorescence detector (FLD), using a reversed phase Eclipse C18 column and employing a mixture of water with Acetic acid (2%): Methanol: Acetonitrile (10:80:10 v/v) as a mobile phase. Results showed that, the content of those two alkaloids in Datura varied according to season, location and plant tissue. The highest atropine concentration was found in the roots during autumn in plants collected from Damascus location then Lattakia and Banyas, (4900, 4700 and 4200mg/kg dry weight), respectively. The highest concentration of scopolamine was in plant flowers (4130, 3800 and 3430mg/kg dry weight for plants collected from Damascus, Banyas and Lattakia, respectively). While the lowest concentration of scopolamine was in plant seeds. The lowest atropine concentration was in the plant stem (1200-1400 mg/kg dry weight). In all samples the concentration of atropine was higher than scopolamine concentration except for flowers. Significant differences in atropine and scopolamine concentrations were found in plant parts on the level of per site as determined by LSD test at P<0.05.