Aporphine and Berberine Alkaloids

Aporphine and Berberine Alkaloids.—The aporphine alkaloid magnoflorine (42) has been shown to be formed specifically from reticuline (33) in Aquilegia species40 

Brochmann-Hanssen, C.-H. Chen, H.-C. Chiang, and K. McMurtrey, J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Cornmun., 1972, 1269. 

It is known that berberine (46) and the protoberberine alkaloid (S)-stylopine (44) are elaborated from an intact molecule of (S)-reticuline [as (33)], the 7V-methyl group providing C-8 in each alkaloid1,2,42 (cf. Vol. 7, p. 12). Exactly similar findings were obtained for tetrahydropalmatine (45) and palmatine (47) in C. laurifolius.43 Of several benzylisoquinolines tested, only reticuline (33), nor-reticuline (41), and norlaudanosoline (40) were significantly incorporated. Tetrahydropalmatine (45) was found to be converted into palmatine (47) and the conversion was irreversible. 

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Several new aporphine and berberine alkaloids which were uncovered in the period of the last ten years or so are from plants of the Anixmaceae such as the 7-hydroxyaporphine, dasymachaline (9) from Desmosdasymachatus [27], the dioxoaporphine, l,2,3-trimethoxy-4,5-dioxo-6a,7-dehydroaporphine (10) from Pseuduvaria macrophylla [28], the tetrasubstituted... 

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