Inter-ethnic difference in sparteine oxidation among Ghanaians and Germans.

Sparteine oxidation, which exhibits genetic polymorphism in various Caucasian populations, was studied in 154 unrelated Ghanaian subjects. Mean total urinary recovery of sparteine and 2- and 5-dehydrosparteines (56.6 +/- 16.6% of the dose) was not different from Caucasians. In contrast to Caucasians, amongst whom 6.3 to 9% of the population are poor metabolizers (PM), no PM subject was observed in the Ghanaian population sample. The data appear to indicate allelic differences between Caucasians and Ghanaians in the gene encoding the synthesis of the P-450 isozyme involved in polymorphic sparteine oxidation.