ReviewJournal of chemical ecology2026
Chemotaxonomy and Ecological Role of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids: A Comprehensive Review of the Case Study of Africa.
Review in Journal of chemical ecology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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4 authors.
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Abstract
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PAs) and their N-oxides (PANOs) from Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, and Apocynaceae cause toxicity in humans and livestock across Africa, while serving as herbivore defenses. This first Africa-focused review analyzes PA diversity, chemotaxonomy, and ecological patterns in African flora, drawing from the African Natural Products Database (ANPDB) and literature (1940-2024) via Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. A presence-absence matrix of 161 characterized PAs across 91 species (19 genera) from Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, and Fabaceae underwent hierarchical clustering (Jaccard distance, R v4.4.0, vegan package). Apocynaceae producers (e.g., Alafia pyrrolizidines A-C) were documented qualitatively due to incomplete characterization and excluded from quantitative analysis. Clustering reveals robust family-level patterns (Senecio-dominated Asteraceae via macrocyclic diesters like Senecionine and Seneciphylline), Boraginaceae subclade diversity, and Crotalaria (Fabaceae) structural versatility. Cross-family convergence (e.g., Trichodesma africanum with Crotalaria mildbraedii) and Crotalaria's mixed PA types (macrocyclic/open-chain diesters, monoesters) suggest parallel evolution, horizontal transfer, or biosynthetic plasticity. Ecologically, PAs mediate herbivore defense and specialist insect sequestration across African ecosystems. Despite ethnopharmacological uses, PA hepatotoxicity (e.g., 1,2-unsaturated necine bases) demands surveillance, especially in contaminated crops/honey. Findings affirm PA profiles as taxonomic markers and highlight the need for integrated chemical ecology research for African food safety and biodiversity conservation.
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Registered trials
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