Alkaloids of the two Hypecoum L. species

Alkaloids from Hypecoum procumbens L. and H. leptocarpum HOOK. F. et THOMS. were investigated. Protopine was the dominant alkaloid in both species. From H. procumbens chelerythrine and corydine were newly isolated in addition to the earlier detected alkaloids allocryptopine, sanguinarine, coptisine, and isocorydine. From H. leptocarpum allocryptopine, isocorydine and corydine were isolated for the first time, in addition to the earlier described alkaloids protopine, sanguinarine, chelerythrine and coptisine. Cryptopine was detected chromatographically. From the fraction of strongly polar alkaloids of both species magnoflorine, (-)-trans-N-methyl-stylopinium hydroxide, and in small amounts a new secoberbine alkaloid of oxohypecorinine structure, procumbine (I), and two further alkaloids of unsolved structure were isolated in the form of iodides.