Cuscohygrine (mixture of diastereomers) (CAS 454-14-8)

Cuscohygrine, consisting of a mixture of diastereomers, is a tropane alkaloid used in biochemical and phytochemical research. This compound is particularly useful in studies focusing on the biosynthetic pathways of tropane alkaloids in plants, serving as a product that can elucidate the enzymatic steps involved in the formation of more complex tropane structures. Research involving cuscohygrine often concentrates on its biosynthesis from ornithine and acetic acid precursors, shedding light on the enzymatic mechanisms that plants use to create a diverse array of alkaloid compounds. Additionally, the presence of multiple diastereomers in cuscohygrine mixtures allows for stereochemical investigations, contributing to the understanding of how plant alkaloid stereochemistry affects biological function. Cuscohygrine is also employed as a standard in chromatographic analyses, where its retention times and spectral properties are used to identify and quantify the presence of similar compounds in plant extracts.