Salutaridine, also known as floripavine, is an

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

that is present in the morphinian alkaloid pathway of opium poppy. Its biosynthetic precursor is the alkaloid (''R'')-reticuline. (''R'')-Reticuline is converted to salutaridine by the enzyme

salutaridine synthase In enzymology, a salutaridine synthase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction :(R)-reticuline + NADPH + H+ + O2 \rightleftharpoons salutaridine + NADP+ + 2 H2O The 4 substrates of this enzyme are (R)-reticuline, NADPH, H+, an ...

. Salutaridine is converted to

salutaridinol Salutaridinol is a modified benzyl tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid with the formula C19H23NO4. It is produced in the secondary metabolism of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum ( Papaveraceae) as an intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway that ge ...

by the enzyme salutaridine reductase (SalR), with the reduction of NADPH to NADP⁺.

References

Morphinans Phenols Enones Phenol ethers {{alkaloid-stub