The metabolism of [8-14C]adenine and [8-14C]hypoxanthine in four species of Camellia plants was investigated in relation to the synthesis of purine alkaloids, caffeine and theobromine. Young leaves of C. sinensis had the ability to synthesize caffeine, but in C. irrawadiensis, these labelled precursors were incorporated into theobromine, not caffeine. No synthesis of purine alkaloids could be detected in C. japonica and C. sasanqua leaves. Conventional “salvage” and degradation pathways of purines were present in all species of Camellia plants examined.
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Ashihara et al. (1987) studied this question.