Alkaloid Content of Tobacco Seeds

Abstract

THERE are many publications in various languages about the alkaloid content of tobacco leaves. The same cannot be said about tobacco seeds, and the few publications that exist do not all agree. G. Albo¹ accepted the probable presence of a solanin-like substance, but not nicotine. In his opinion this is a nutritive substance for the embryo, and therefore not to be expected in the developed plant. Scurti and Perciabosco² found neither solanin nor any alkaloid-like substance in tobacco seeds, but instead did find allantoin. According to G. Paris³, the ripe seeds are free from nicotine. J. Chaze⁴ investigated the existence and cytological formation of alkaloids in tobacco plants, and maintained that nicotine is not present in the seed. He showed that alkaloids do exist in the germinated seeds, in the vacuoles of cells of the growing seedling.