Nitro Compounds in Introduced Astragalus Species

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Abstract
Leaves of foreign Astragalus spp. were examined for the presence and type of poisonous aliphatic nitro compounds. Twenty-two (24%) of the 92 spp. examined tested positive for nitro compounds and 70 (76%) tested negative. Three nitrobearing species, A. bodeanus Fisch., A. isfahanicus Boiss. and A. siliquosus Boiss. synthesized 3-nitro-1-propanol (3-NPOH). The other nitro-bearing species synthesized 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA). Ten taxonomic sections had a high percentage of nitro-bearing species. Chemotaxonomic relationships in Astragalus suggest that most, if not all, of the other species in these 10 sections would synthesize nitro compounds.