Papaver section Macrantha

Plants of Papaver Section Macrantha and Their Alkaloids... 

Figure 1.19. Tyrosine-derived alkaloids in the Rhoeadales, Berberidales, and Ranales. The first compound synthesized is norlaudanosoline, and nine distinct types of alkaloids are encountered either in restricted taxa or widely distributed A—salutaridine B— morphine pathway restricted to Papaver section Mecones C—isothebaine pathway, characteristic of Papaver section Macrantha D—Papaver section Miltantha E—Papaver section Scapiflora F-encountered in Chelidonium (Papaveraceae-Rhoeadales) and Berberis G—characteristic for Papaver section Orthoroedes, the Corydalis dicentra and Chelidonium spp. H—cryptowoline I—Papaver section Scapiflora, genus Escholtzia, and Argemone J—Papaver sections Orthoroedes and Pilosa, Data are compiled from publications by Stermitz (1968, 1974), Santavy (1966), Santavy et al. (1965, 1966) Slavik (1955), Slavik et al. (1963), Pfeifer (1962), and Tetenyi and co-workers (1961, 1965, 1967, 1968), Bandoni, et al. (1972, 1975). The reaction pathways are according to Barton and Widdowson (1972). Only pathways A, B, and C are shown in detail the others are only suggestions. The pathways leading to the dimeric (bis) alkaloids are not shown.

Isothebaine (122) and orientalidine (257a) do not appear in any other sections of the genus Papaver or in the other genera of the Papaveraceae and Fumar-iaceae. Therefore, their presence can be considered as a chemotaxonomic characteristic of the section Macrantha. Since the plants of the section Macrantha form isothebaine from (5 )-(-l-)-orientaline (25), thebaine and oripavine from (P)-(-)-reticuline (20), and orientalidine and alpinigenine from (S)-(+)-re-ticuline, it follows that they contain stereospecific enzymes. 

Chelombit Ko VA, Mikheev AD (1988) Data on chemotaxonomy of the section Macrantha Elkan of the genus Papaver L. Part I. Alkaloids of Papaver bracteatum Lindl. Rastit Resur 24 400-410 (PBA 59 1407, 1989)... 

Studies of the chromosome numbers have shown that, in most of the species of the genus Papaver, and also in plants of the section Macrantha, the basic chromosome number is n = 7 (Novak 1979, Phillipson et al. 1981b). It appears that the three species of the section are evidently determined on the basis of the somatic numbers of chromosomes and the karyologic conditions confirm the elaborated classification of the section. It can be concluded, on the available evidence to date, that the major alkaloid of P. bracteatum is thebaine, whereas that of P. orientale is oripavine, although mecambridine is the major alkaloid of at least one collection (Phillipson et al. 1981b). P. pseudo-orientale mainly contains isothebaine as the major alkaloid, al-thou salutaridine has been isolated as the major alkaloid from three separate col-... 

Hutchinson J (1921) The genera of Fumariaceae and their distribution. Kew Bull 97-115 Hutchinson J (1959) Families of flowering plants, vol II, 2nd edn. Oxford Univ Press, Oxford Novdk J (1979) Taxonomical Revision of the Section Macrantha, Genus Papaver, Preslia 51 341-348... 

The promorphinane alkaloids were found in the sections Miltantha, Pilosa, Macrantha, and Scapiflora, and thebaine in some plants of the sections Orthorhoeades, Mecones, Pilosa, and Macrantha (genus Papaver). Codeine and morphine could be detected only in the plants... 

From the viewpoint of botany, taxonomy, and chemotaxonomy, attention was chiefly paid to the plants of the sections Oxytona (Macrantha Elk.), Papaver (Mecones), among those particularly to the species P. somniferum,... 

Since Nyman and Hall (1976), 16 years ago, noted that very little of the inheritance of the opium alkaloids is known to-day, although varietal studies on this were started 35 years ago (Asahina et al. 1957 Bdhm 1967 Lalezari et al. 1974 Shafiee et al. 1975 cf. Sharma and Singh 1983, etc.), there has been considerable progress in the knowledge of gene control and dominance relationships of these alkaloids in the two sections Papaver (Mecones) and Oxytona (Macrantha) of the genus Papaver, given below. 

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