Salmore A K, Hunter M D
Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, USA.
J Chem Ecol. 2001 Sep;27(9):1713-27. doi: 10.1023/a:1010411122739.
Evaluation of biotic interactions along geographic gradients reveals that pressure on plant populations by herbivores and pathogens increases as latitude decreases, and is accompanied by a parallel increase in the number and toxicity of alkaloid-bearing plants. We compared rhizome alkaloid content with plant reproductive and vegetative characters in Sanguinaria canadensis (Papaveraceae) along an elevational gradient over two growing seasons to ascertain 1) if alkaloid production in bloodroot varies among populations and systematically with elevation, and 2) if there exists a correlation between isoquinoline alkaloid, vegetative and reproductive production. In general, alkaloid content in bloodroot rhizomes declines with elevation, increases with rhizome water content, varies by site, and fluctuates seasonally with plant growth and reproduction. Alkaloid content was positively correlated with vegetative and reproductive effort with few exceptions. Analysis of total protopine and benzophenanthridine alkaloid concentrations revealed generally similar patterns as those of individual alkaloid concentrations, although significant differences did appear between individual alkaloid concentrations.
对沿地理梯度的生物相互作用进行评估后发现，随着纬度降低，食草动物和病原体对植物种群的压力增加，同时含生物碱植物的数量和毒性也相应增加。我们在两个生长季节里，沿着海拔梯度比较了加拿大血根草（罂粟科）根茎生物碱含量与植物繁殖和营养特征，以确定：1）血根草中生物碱的产生在不同种群间是否存在差异以及是否随海拔系统性变化；2）异喹啉生物碱、营养生长和生殖产量之间是否存在相关性。总体而言，血根草根茎中的生物碱含量随海拔升高而下降，随根茎含水量增加而增加，因地点而异，并随植物生长和繁殖季节性波动。生物碱含量与营养生长和生殖投入呈正相关，仅有少数例外情况。对总原阿片碱和苯并菲啶生物碱浓度的分析显示，其模式与单个生物碱浓度总体相似，尽管单个生物碱浓度之间确实存在显著差异。
