Codeine reduction

Catalytic reduction of codeine (2) affords the analgesic dihydrocodeine (7) Oxidation of the alcohol at 6 by means of the Oppenauer reaction gives hydrocodone (9)an agent once used extensively as an antitussive. It is of note that treatment of codeine under strongly acidic conditions similarly affords hydrocodone by a very unusual rearrangement of an allyl alcohol to the corresponding enol, followed by ketonization. 

Biotransformations of morphinan alkaloids have been reported for plant, fungal, and mammalian enzymatic systems with emphasis on rather specific reactions such as the reduction of ketones, N- and O-demethylation, and perox-idative transformations. Furuya et al. used immobilized tissue culture cells of Papaver somniferum to accomplish the selective reduction of codeinone (135) to codeine (136) (207) (Scheme 30). Suspension cultures of a well-established cell line of P. somniferum were grown for one week as a source of cell mass for immobilization in calcium alginate. The cells continued to live in the alginate matrix for 6 months maintaining their biological activity. The reduction of co-... 

Dihydromorphinone is 3-4 times more powerful than morphine and dihydrocodeinone is just a little less than morphine in potency. Their pitfall is an addiction liability, as great if not greater than morphine. To produce Hydrogenate morphine or codeine in a warm, strongly acidic solution, in a large excess of palladium or platinum catalyst, as per instructed in the reductions chapter. 

Reduction of coumarin in aqueous methanol, pH 5-6, in the presence of alkaloids yields an increased amount of dihydrocoumarin. Tliis is also the case for reduction of 4-methylcoumarin and now the 4-methyldihydrocoumarin isolated is optically active [137]. Tlie enantiomeric excess and yield of diliydrocompound both depend on the alkaloid used (Table 3.9) and Low concentrations of alkaloid are effective in achieving asynunetric induction. Concentrations of codeine above 4 mM do not further influence either the yield of dihydrocompound or the degree of induction. 

Catalytic reduction of codeine gives dihydrocodeine and Oppenauer oxidation (a ketone such as acetone and an aluminum alkoxide, the ketone being reduced to an alcohol) gives hydrocodone. Hydrocodone can also be prepared directly from codeine with a metal catalyst, which isomerizes the allylic alcohol to a ketone. Codeine is prepared by methylation of morphine, which is isolated from the opium poppy. Hydrocodone is more potent than codeine. Acetaminophen is a mild analgesic and is discussed in Section 8. 

The asymmetric synthesis of (+)-Codeine 432 devised by White and colleagues included a Beckmann rearrangement to introduce the nitrogen atom in the carbocyclic structure (equation 182). Even though two isomeric lactams 430 and 431 were obtained as a result of the rearrangement, the preferential migration of the bridgehead carbon atom produced 430 as the predominant isomer. The synthesis of the non-natural enantiomer of Codeine was completed after oxidation, olefin formation and reduction. 

One of the more benign ancillary activities of morphine lies in its activity in suppressing the cough reflex. Catalytic reduction of codeine (1-2) leads to the dihydro derivative (4-1). Oppenauer oxidation of the hydroxyl group leads to hydrocodone (4-2) [3], a compound used extensively in cough remedies it is of note, however, that this drug retains considerable opioid activity. 

Synthesis (Krauli (E. Merck), 1925, Juby et al., 1968, Ehrhart and Ruschig 1972) Thebaine is oxidized with hydrogene peroxide to 14-hydroxycodeinone (Bentley 1954, Hauser 1974), which is hydrogenated directly or via its oxime, or its bromination products to oxycodone. The reduction of 14-hydroxycodeinone can also be carried out with sodium hydrosulfite. Alternatively 14-hydroxycodeinone is prepared by oxidation of codeine. 

The diethyl compound without the iodine is 2,5-dimethoxy-N,N-diethylamphetamine, which was prepared by the reductive alkylation of DMA with acetaldehyde and sodium cyanoborohydride. This product, DEDMA, was a clear white oil, bp 82-92 °C at 0.15 mm/Hg which did not form a crystalline hydrochloride. An interesting measure of just how different these N,N-dialkylated homologues can be from the psychedelic primary amines, pharmacologically, can be seen in the published report that the beta-hydroxy derivative of DEDMA is an antitussive, with a potency the same as codeine. 

Use of benzodiazepines with narcotics, such as meperidine (Demerol), oxycodone (Percodan), codeine, morphine, or pentazocine (Talwin), increase their sedative effects. Combining these agents can lead to serious reductions in breathing rate, and even death. These two types of drugs should never be taken together. 

Codeine has also been prepared in 70% overall yield, again without purification of intermediate compounds, from dihydrothebainone (132) by the route (132) — (137) shown in Scheme 4. The initial product of the action of bromine and then alkali on dihydrothebainone is the 1,7-dibromo-derivative of dihydro-codeinone, which can be reduced to dihydrocodeinone (133). This may be converted into 7-bromodihydrocodeinone dimethyl ketal (136), which on treatment with potassium t-butoxide in DMSO at 120 °C is converted exclusively into thebaine, but at 60 °C the product is codeinone dimethyl ketal (137), which can be hydrolysed to codeinone (131).154 The process has obvious value in the possible synthesis of codeine via dihydrothebainone, for which a patent has been filed covering a process that proceeds from the reduced isoquinoline (138) 155 the conversion of A-formylnordihydrothebainone into dihydrothebainone by hydrolysis and reductive methylation and by ketalization, reduction, and hydrolysis has been reported.156... 

Derivatives of 14-hydroxydihydrocodeinone have been converted into 6a- and 6/ff-amino-compounds by condensation with benzylamine and then reduction and hydrogenolysis of the resulting Schiff-bases,195 and also into their hydrazones.196 Codeine and ethylmorphine have been nitrated and sulphonated at position 1197 and fluoro-compounds of structures (103 R = H), (103 R = OH), (104 R = H), and (104 R = OH) have been prepared from dihydrocodeinone and 14-hydroxy-dihydrocodeinone by treatment with diethylaminosulphur trifluoride.198... 

The acetylation of morphine and of codeine by aspirin202 and the enzymatic hydrolysis of heroin203 and the reduction of codeinone204 have been studied. Dihydronorcodeine and dihydromorphine have been isolated from urine as metabolites of dihydrocodeine.205 Patents have been published covering the preparation of -(cyclopropylmethyOnormorphine,206 the conversion of thebaine into codeinone,207 and the preparation of nalorphine 6-sulphate.208 Salts of codeine and ethylmorphine with 5-carboxymethyl-2-thio-l,3-thiazan-4-one have been prepared.209 The circular dichroism210,211 and fluorescence characteristics212 of morphine and related bases have been studied. 

Epoxidation and hydroxylation A-Dealkylation O-Dealkylation -Dealkylation -Oxidation A-Oxidation P-Oxidation Desulfuration Dehalogenation Nitro reduction Azo reduction Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Aflatoxin, aldrin, benzo[a]pyrene, bromobenzene, naphthalene Ethylmorphine, atrazine, dimethylnitrocarbamate, dimethylaniline p-Nitroanisole, chlorfenvinphos, codeine Methylmercaptan Thiobenzamide, phorate, endosulfan, methiocarb, chlorpromazine 2-Acetylaminofluorene Diethylphenylphosphine Parathion, fonofos, carbon disulfide CCLt, CllCb Nitrobenzene O-Aminoazotoluene Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase (FMO)... 

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