People
Kite, Geoffrey C.
| Job Title | Phytochemist |
|---|---|
| Department | Jodrell |
| Section | Sustainable Uses |
| Science Teams |
Malpighiales Leguminosae United Kingdom Lamiaceae Monocots I: General Alismatids & Lilioids Large-Scale Syntheses |
| Joined Kew | 1986 |
| Foreign Language(s) |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc, Botany, Univ. London, 1982
PhD, Univ. London, 1986
Committee, Phytochemical Society of Europe (1988-1991)
Editorial Board, Biochemical Systematics and Ecology
Production Editor, Kew Scientist
Role
Use of mass spectrometry to study plant chemical diversity.
Responsible for the development of mass spectrometry in the Jodrell Laboratory in the analysis of ‘small molecules’ in systematic phytochemical studies, chemical authentication of plant extracts or products, and enquiries. Current instrumentation comprises a gas chromatograph–quadrupole mass spectrometer with thermal desorption capability, a liquid chromatograph–ion trap serial mass spectrometer, and a preparative liquid chromatograph–quadrupole mass spectrometer. Systematic phytochemical applications are being undertaken in Leguminosae, Monocots, Malpighiales, Myrtaceae and Lamiaceae in collaboration with taxonomists and phytochemists at Kew and from other institutions. Chemical authentication of plant extracts or products focuses on issues arising from plants or extracts being traded in the UK, while enquiries are often concerned with poisoning cases.
Projects
Araceae Taxonomic Knowledge Base
Authentication and Chemical Fingerprinting of Economically Important Species
Chemistry and Biological Activity of Myrtaceae
Chemistry of Passiflora (Passifloraceae)
Chemosystematics and Biological Activity of Alismatid and Lilioid Monocots
Chemosystematics and Biological Activity of Lamiaceae
Diversity of Biologically Active Plants and Plant-Derived Compounds
Importance of Legumes and Legume-Derived Compounds in Medicine and Agriculture
Medicinal Uses of British Plants
New Phylogeny of the Caesalpinioideae, Leguminosae
Polyhydroxyalkaloids in Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto
Systematic Phytochemistry of Legumes
Systematics of the Tropical African Genus Berlinia (Detarieae: Caesalpinioideae: Leguminosae)
Selected Publications 2001-2005
Kite, G.C., Yule, M.A., Leon, C. & Simmonds, M.S.J. (2002). Detecting Aristolochic acids in herbal remedies by liquid chromatography/serial mass spectrometry. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 16: 585-590.
Kite, G.C., Howes, M.-J. R., Leon, C. & Simmonds, M.S.J. (2003). Liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry of malonyl-ginsenosides in the authentication of ginseng. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 17: 238-244.
Kite, G.C., Veitch, N.C, Grayer, R.J. & Simmonds, M.S.J. (2003). The use of hyphenated techniques in comparative phytochemical studies of legumes. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 31: 813-843.
Kite, G.C., Howes, M-J.R. & Simmonds M.S.J. (2004). Metabolomic analysis of saponins in crude extracts of Quillaja saponaria by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for product authentication. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 18:2859-2870.
Selected Publications pre-2001
Kite, G.C., Sharp, H., Hill, P. & Boyce, P. (1997). Polyhydroxyalkaloids in the aroid tribes Nephthytideae and Aglaonemateae: phytochemical support for an intertribal relationship. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 25: 757-766.
Kite, G.C., Hetterscheid, W.L.A., Lewis, M., Boyce, P.C., Ollerton, J., Cocklin, E., Diaz, A. & Simmonds, M.S.J. (1998). Inflorescence odours and pollinators of Arum and Amorphophallus (Araceae). In Owens, S. & Rudall, P. (eds) Reproductive Biology in Systematics, Conservation and Economic Botany. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 295-315.
Kite, G.C., Grayer, R.J., Rudall, P.J. & Simmonds, M.S.J. (2000). The potential for chemical characters in monocotyledon systematics. In Wilson, K.L. & Morrison, D.A. (eds) Monocots: Systematics and Evolution. Melbourne: CSIRO. 101-113.
Grayer, R.J., Kite, G.C. Abou-Zaid, M. & Archer, L.A. (2000). The application of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry in the chemotaxonomic study of flavonoids: characterization of flavonoids from Ocimum gratissimum var. gratissimum. Phytochemical Analysis 11: 257-267.
Kite G.C., Lawrence T.J. & Dauncey E.A. (2000). Detecting Taxus poisoning in horses using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Veterinary and Human Toxicology 42:151-4.