Oxidative cleavage, degradation heterocycles from

In recent years a number of new isoquinoline alkaloids of untypical structures, i.e., structures with open heterocyclic rings, have been isolated from natural sources. These bases were named secoisoquinoline alkaloids because they were believed to be produced in vivo from classic isoquinoline alkaloids as a result of various degradation processes causing oxidative cleavage of some bonds. 

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