A naphthoisoquinoline alkaloid, this base occurs in the roots of Chelidonium majus L., Glaucium fimbrilligerum and Sanguinaria canadensis L. The alkaloid was stated by Schmidt, Konig and Tietz to crystallize from EtOH or AcOEt as colourless needles, m.p. 213°C but this low melting point was found to be due to the presence of chelerythrine as an impurity. Once this is removed as the pseudocyanide, the base crystallizes from Et20 and has the above melting point or 242-3°C on slow heating. Obtained from EtOH it forms the alcoholate, m.p. 195-7°C. The hydrochloride forms long, slender, bloodred needles. On distillation with Zn dust, the alkaloid furnishes a-naphthaphenanthridine and the structure given above has been further confirmed by synthesis.
