Guimarães Paulo Roberto, José Juliana, Galetti Mauro, Trigo José Roberto
Laboratorio de Ecologia Química, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP, Caixa Postal 6109, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
J Chem Ecol. 2003 May;29(5):1065-72. doi: 10.1023/a:1023817203748.
Quinolizidine alkaloids (QAs) are secondary compounds found in seeds of many species of plants, possibly protecting them against pathogens and seed predators. QAs were isolated from Ormosia arborea seeds and bioassayed against red-rumped agoutis (Dasyprocta leporina, Rodentia: Caviomorpha) to verify if they inhibit seed predation and food hoarding (seed dispersal). Three treatments were used: (1) seeds of O. arborea, (2) palatable seeds of Mimusops coriacea (Sapotaceae) treated with MeOH, and (3) seeds of M. coriacea treated with QAs dissolved in MeOH in similar concentration to that present in O. arborea. Palatable seeds were significantly more preyed upon than seeds treated with QAs and Ormosia seeds, but QAs did not influence hoarding behavior. QAs in O. arborea may have a strong effect in avoiding seed predation by rodents, without reducing dispersal.
喹诺里西啶生物碱（QAs）是在许多植物种子中发现的次生化合物，可能保护它们免受病原体和种子捕食者的侵害。从红豆树种子中分离出QAs，并对红腰刺豚鼠（Dasyprocta leporina，啮齿目：豚鼠形亚目）进行生物测定，以验证它们是否抑制种子捕食和食物贮藏（种子传播）。使用了三种处理方法：（1）红豆树种子，（2）用甲醇处理的可食用的厚皮香科（Sapotaceae）厚皮香属（Mimusops）种子，以及（3）用溶解在甲醇中的QAs处理的厚皮香属种子，其浓度与红豆树中存在的浓度相似。可食用的种子比用QAs处理的种子和红豆树种子更容易被捕食，但QAs不影响贮藏行为。红豆树中的QAs可能在避免啮齿动物捕食种子方面有很强的作用，而不会减少传播。
