Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the antipodean genus Brachyglottis (Asteraceae)

The phylogeny of the genus Brachyglottis suggests that its constituent species should contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Consistent with this hypothesis, and the established occurrence of such alkaloids in Brachyglottis repanda, Brachyglottis kirkii, and Brachyglottis hectori, an investigation of Brachyglottis adamsii revealed the presence of senecionine and retrorsine; Brachyglottis huntii was found to contain senkirkine and retrorsine; 7- O-angelylheliotridine was the predominant alkaloid in Brachyglottis perdicioides, and the same alkaloid together with senecionine, senkirkine and intergerrimine was present in the Brachyglottis hectori × B. perdicioides "Alfred Atkinson" horticultural hybrid; Brachyglottis sciadophila contained clivorine and neopetasitenine (acetylfukinotoxin); the latter alkaloid was also present in B. kirkii together with the previously reported senkirkine and senkirkine 12-acetate.