Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis by HPLC of Major Peganum harmala Alkaloids at Different Stages of Development

The analysis of major Peganum harmala alkaloids (harmaline, harmine, harmol and harmalol) has shown that the content of these secondary metabolites depends on the plant development stage. The qualitative and quantitative profile of major alkaloids change significantly between stems, leaves and roots. The roots and seeds are the richest and most diversified organs in these metabolites. The concentration of the major alkaloids in all organs increases during the first three weeks and stabilizes at a constant level during vegetative growth phase and then decline at the beginning of flowering. On the scale of the whole plant, major alkaloids concentration of P. harmala varies with the developmental stage of the plant between 21.16 and 26.96 mg/g and harmine remains the most abundant molecule. Optimum exploitation of these natural products from the P. harmala plant is possible if the harvest of plant material occurs during the vegetative growth phase and at the appropriate stage for the richest organ. Keywords: Peganum harmala, Plant growth, Alkaloids, Harmine, Harmaline, Harmol, Harmalo