The sedative principle ofRauwolfia serpentina Benth. has been isolated in pure crystalline form and its chemistry and pharmacology has been studied.

Reserpin, der sedative Wirkstoff ausRauwolfia serpentina Benth

Use of rauwolfia serpentina benth. in neuropsychiatric conditions

Indole and its structural analogues have been frequently found in numerous alkaloids, pharmaceutical products and related materials. The enantioselective construction of these structures allows efficient total synthesis of optically pure indole alkaloids, and hence has received worldwide interest. In the past decade, asymmetric organocatalysis has been recognized as one of the most powerful strategies to create chiral molecules with high levels of stereoselectivity. In particular, organocatalytic asymmetric cascade reactions often occur with multiple bond-breaking and forming events simultaneously or sequentially, leading to the appearance of various straightforward approaches to access core structures for asymmetric total synthesis. This review will summarize recent applications of asymmetric organocatalysis in the enantioselective synthesis of indole alkaloids.

Recent progress in organocatalytic asymmetric total syntheses of complex indole alkaloids

In this study, poppy seeds were examined for a natural constituent that might serve as a maker for the seeds' ingestion as opposed to opiate abuse. Thebaine was selected as possible marker, since it was found to be a component of all poppy seeds examined and was not a natural component of different heroin samples. During the course of this investigation, a new extraction and cleanup procedure was developed for the gas chromatographic/nitrogen phosphorus detection (GC/NPD) and gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) analysis of morphine and codeine in urine. A linear response, over a concentration range of 25 to 600 ng/mL, was obtained for codeine and morphine (r = 0.9982 and 0.9947, respectively). The minimum detectable level (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) for morphine were 10 and 30 ng/mL, respectively; whereas LOD and LOQ for codeine were 2 and 8 ng/mL, respectively. The coefficients of variance (CV, n = 6) for morphine and codeine analyses at the 100-ng/mL level were 13.3 and 4.6%, respectively. This procedure was used for the analysis of urine samples from five poppy seed eaters who each ingested 200 g of poppy seed cake. Results indicated that significant amounts of morphine and codeine are excreted in urine and that in all subjects, at least at one point in time, the apparent morphine concentration as determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) analysis exceeded the cutoff value (300 ng/mL) established for screening. Thebaine was not detected in urine specimens collected following poppy seeds ingestion and thus could not be used as a marker.

Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis of morphine and codeine in human urine of poppy seed eaters.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1016/S1044-0305%2802%2900441-5.pdf

L. van Itallie

Papers

Rauwolfia serpentina Benth

Bildung und Verbreitung einiger Alkaloide in Papaver somniferum L

Ueber das Vorkommen von Metallen in der menschlichen Leber

Ueber Minjak Lagam

Fructus Papaveris und Sirupus Papaveris in Beziehung zu Vergiftungen.