Indole-, imidazole-, and phenyl-alkylamines in the skin of thirteen <i>Leptodactylus</i> species

Abstract

The skin of thirteen <i>Leptodactylus</i> species and sub-species has been examined in regard to its content in biogenic amines. This tissue presents, especially in <i>Leptodactylus pentadactylus labyrinthicus</i> and some other species, an unusually rich miscellany of amines, including at least two indolealkylamines (5-hydroxytryptamine and bufotenidine), three hydroxyphenylalkylamines (p-tyramine, candicine, leptodactyline) and five imidazolealkylamines (histamine, N-methylhistamine, N,N-dimethylhistamine, spinaceamine and 6-methylspinaceamine). It is concluded that the <i>Leptodactylus</i> skin must possess aromatic acid decarboxylase activity, tryptophan-5-hydroxylase activity and N-methyltransferase activity. The skin of nearly every <i>Leptodactylus</i> species and sub-species is characterized by a particular spectrum of amines, which evidently may help in systematies of these species.