The student was able to synthesize an alkaloid molecule; she found it in a plant from the Papaveracea family.
The substance found is setigerumin I,a molecule that the researchers described as "unstudied and elusive." It is very difficult to isolate and therefore difficult to describe. Scientists suggest that networkigerumin I could become the basis for drugs or other medical preparations. So far, scientists know little about its properties, since they have not previously been able to synthesize enough of the substance to study it.
Student Anavi Serna with her research fellowChemistry leader and teacher Juha Siitonen created networkgerumin I in a three-step process at room temperature. It began with the oxidation and rearrangement of the precursor molecule noscapine, found in cough syrup.
We isolated a molecule from poppy seeds, which alsoyou can get morphine. Therefore, we believe that it has the desired biological properties. For example, it can become the basis for a painkiller that is not addictive.
Juha Siitonen, chemistry teacher
After receiving the results, the student checked them by obtaining the structure of the molecule.
The result is an environmentally friendly process that will produce 20 milligrams of networkgerumin I. This is enough to confirm that the method works.
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