Aconitine Analogues in Wild Aconitum Plants: Contents Toxicity to Mice and Decrease by Boiling

Yoshimasa Kasahara, Takeshi Itou, Toshiaki Numazawa, Akinobu Wada

Simultaneous determination of four aconitine analogues (ACs) (AC; aconitine, HA; hypaconitine, JA; jesaconitine, MA; mesaconitine) in leaves and roots of wild Aconitum plants (Aconitum japonicum THUNBERG, Aconitum okuyamae Nakai) was carried out to elucidate the relation between toxicity to mice and ACs content determind by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The total amounts of ACs in leaves, roots, petals and nectaries of Aconitum japonicum collected at Sagae-shi Tashiro were 5.9 μg/g, 928.1 μg/g, 46.1 μg/g, and 69.8 μg/g, respectively. Despite the high contents in nectary, commercial honey contained no ACs. Extract of wild Aconitum japonicum roots which contained ACs (2.69 mg/g) was administered to 5 mice orally at 1.0 g/kg (fresh root equivalent), and 2 mice died. On the other hand, 3 of 5 mice died after being given the standard AC (3.0 mg/kg, p.o.). These findings confirmed good coincidence between toxicity and quantitative values. Mice given extract of Aconitum okuyamae root (100 g/kg, p.o.) without ACs showed no toxic symptoms. Residual ACs in Aconitum leaves were examined after boiling. The remaining percentage of ACs in leaves after 0.5 minutes boiling was 31.6%, and the amount in the boiling water was 54.5%. MA is converted into benzoylmesaconine by hydrolysis (by boiling). Therefore food poisoning caused by Aconitum plants is explained by detection of benzoylmesaconine formed during food preparation.