JOHNSON, EMANUEL L. USDA-ARS ACSL, BARC-W, Bldg. 001, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705-2350. - Flavonoids as chemotaxonomic markers of Erythroxylum australe.
Leaf extracts of Erythroxylum australe O. E. Schulz, produced
six O-conjugated flavonoids. Two of the flavonoid aglycones were
isoflavones, two were isoflavanones, one a flavanone and the remainder
a flavonol (quercetin). The major glycosides of these flavonols
included mono- and dirhamnosides and mono-glucosides with either 2, 7
or 4' linkage or a combination thereof. This population of flavonoids
from E. australe suggests ancestry to Erythroxylum ulei
and possibly more remotely to E. coca and/or E.
novogranatense. These flavonoids may be used as chemotaxonomic
markers for the taxon.
Key words: Erythroxylum australe, Erythroxylum chemical relationships, flavonoids