Meconic acid and alkaloids in Papaver somniferum and P. bracteatum.

Meconic acid (C (7)H (4) O (7)) has an unusually low H content in relation to C and O; it seems also to be restricted to Papaver species which characteristically produce morphinanes. The suggestion that it is an energy exhausted product of the citric acid cycle whose formation controls alkaloid production has been investigated. Using HPLC methods the concentrations of meconic acid and of alkaloids in the latex have been shown to vary significantly during the day suggesting active metabolism but little firm evidence of formation of meconic acid from fumarate or pyruvate was obtained.