Tropane alkaloids (from Datura sp.) as undesirable substances in animal feed 1 Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain

The term tropane alkaloids refers to a group of more than 200 compounds best known for their occurrence in the family Solanaceae comprising over 100 genera and 3000 plant species. They have in common a two-ringed structure characterized by a pyrrolidine and a piperidine ring sharing a single nitrogen atom and two carbons atoms. The nitrogen atom at the end of the molecule, which characterizes the compounds as alkaloids, is in this group characteristically methylated. The most important natural tropane alkaloids are (-)-hyoscyamine and (-)-scopolamine (also known as hyoscine). High concentrations of these alkaloids have been found particularly in Datura stramonium and Datura ferox, as well as in Datura innoxia. The pattern of tropane alkaloids differs significantly and in Datura stramonium (also known as thorn apple or Jimson weed) hyoscyamine prevails in most parts of the plant, whereas in Datura ferox scopolamine is the major alkaloid