Biosynthetic and Chemotaxonomic Conclusions

In this connection it should be noted that it is well known that in the 

13-methyltetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids and their natural derivatives. As already mentioned in the section on the henzophenanthridine bases (Section III.N) the author of this review assumes that dihydroxy-phenylalanine and the hydroxy derivatives of tropic acid are the biosynthetic ijrecursors of the 13-methyltetrahydroprotoberberine bases and of their derivatives (13-methylprotopine bases, corynoline, and ochotensimine). 

A classification of the known alkaloids based on the individual tribes, genera, and sections (Table I) shows that all the investigated genera contain protoberberine, protopine, and benzophenanthridine alkaloids of the sanguinarine and chelerythrine type 195). There was also observed a frequent occurrence of the aporphine alkaloids. In the plant family Papaveraceae, the aporphine alkaloids having oxygen substituents in position C-8 are absent. None of these groups of alkaloids can be used for chemotaxonomic purposes. The enzymes which synthesize them are therefore ubiquitous for the whole family Papaveraceae. 

The alkaloids of the arm epavine type were detected in the genus Papaver (section Miltantha) and in the form of a glycoside (latericine) in the sections Orthorhoeades and Pilosa. From this it follows that only these sections elaborate enzymes which are ahle to cleave the phenol group from the C-3 atom or to use tyrosine for the biosynthesis of armepavine alkaloids. 

It is of interest that all the sections of the genus Papaver (Table XXVI) contain alkaloids of the rhoeadine type (XIII) which could not be found 

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