Narcissus and Daffodil

184 J. Bastida and F. Viladomat
is a definite enhancement of this fragmentation when the C-2 substituent has an α
configuration (Wildman and Brown, 1968).
Galanthamine type
In this type of structures, the intense molecular ion, as well as [M-1] peak, the
breaking of ring C (losing a C4H6O fragment) and the elimination of elements of
ring B (including the nitrogen atom) are characteristic (Figure 6.18). This behaviour
is similar for the dihydro derivatives (Razakov et al., 1969).
Figure 6.18 Mass fragmentation pattern of galanthamine (69).
BIOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES
Toxic and hallucinogenic effects
Plants of this genus have been used throughout history as a stimulant to induce
trance and hallucinations, and as an agent in suicide. It has been known for a long
time that daffodil ingestion is very dangerous, resulting in toxic symptoms in both
man and animals (Jaspersen-Schib et al., 1996; Wilson, 1924; Wu et al., 1965). After
ingestion of N. pseudonarcissus or N. jonquilla (Vigneau et al., 1984), the first visible
symptoms are salivation, acute abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea,
followed by neurological (trembling, convulsions, etc.) and cardiac sequel, and
sometimes resulting in death if eaten in larger quantities. There are many cases of
poisoning in which daffodil bulbs were cooked by mistake in the place of leeks or
onions. The bulbs of N. poeticus are more dangerous than those of N. pseudonarcissus,
being powerfully emetic and irritant. In turn, N. papyraceus is believed to be toxic
for herbivorous mammals; in this case, the alkaloid content is five times higher in
the aerial part than in the bulbs (Suau et al., 1990a). The good news is that the
bulb tastes awful, making it highly unlikely that anyone could keep down even one
bite. In cases of massive ingestion, activated charcoal, salts and laxatives are adminis-