Studies on the biosynthesis of the morphine alkaloids
Stewart R. Massey
2134/34137
https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/thesis/Studies_on_the_biosynthesis_of_the_morphine_alkaloids/9397058
Earlier work on the biosynthesis of morphine in the opium
poppy, Papaver somniferum, is reviewed in chapter I.
A variety of unnatural codeine precursors, closely related
structurally to codeine and labelled with 3H at C-2, have been
prepared and administered to P. somniferum plants. Their in vivo
3-0-demethylation to give the corresponding morphine compounds
was investigated using radiodilution techniques. Each of the
feeding experiments utilised [N-methyl-14C]codeine as an
internal standard and the efficiency of the unnatural 3-0-demethylations
was compared with that observed for the natural
conversion of codeine into morphine. Dihydrodesoxycodeine was
more efficiently converted into dihydrodesoxymorphine than was
codeine into morphine. The least efficiently demethylated
unnatural precursor of the series was 1-bromocodeine. [Continues.]
2018-07-26 09:02:47
untagged
Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified