Isolation and chemistry of the alkaloids from Papaver arachnoïdeum

In Turkey the genus Papaver is represented by about 40 species, belonging to eight sections namely, Argemonidium, Carinata, Glauca, Milthanta, Oxytona, Papaver, Pilosa and Rhoeadium. The alkaloids content of many species of Turkish origin have extensively been reviewed by Sariyar et al. (2002) and medicinally important alkaloids such as papaverine, narcotine and thebaine have been found [1].

Papaver arachnoïdeum Kadereit endemic to Turkey is represented under section Rhoeadium in a modern taxonomic revision as an annual species. According to Kadereit this new species was treated as P. commutatum Fischer & C. Meyer by Cullen (1965), however, P. arachnoïdeum differs from that species in its indumentum and in leaf and capsule shape.[2]

In continuation of our previous studies, the alkaloids of P. arachnoïdeum have now been examined for the first time. The material consists of the dried aerial parts of plants bearing capsules collected from two different regions in North and East Anatolia in July 2004. Two major alkaloids have been identified as roemerine, an aporphine type alkaloid and the proaporhine mecambrine. The presence of a very well known oxoaporphine liriodenine and another proaporphine type alkaloids roemeronine has been shown in a Turkish Papaver species for the first time. A reduction product of roemeramine one time isolated alkaloid in Roemeria refracta is present in a few amount in the plant material collected from North Anatolia. This finding indicates the existence of chemical strains for P. arachnoïdeum.[3]

References: 1. Sarıyar, G. (2002) Pure Appl. Chem. 74: 557–574

2. Kadereit, J.W. A Revision of Papaver L. Section Rhoeadium Spach. (1988) 45: pp 225–285 Notes from Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburgh

3. Slavik, J. et al. (1968) Coll. Czech. Chem. Comm. 33: 4066–4082