Transformations of (+-)-salsolinol into optically active O- and/or N-methylated derivatives by several Papaveraceae plants and their tissue-cultured cells.

(+-)-Salsolinol [3], a substance possibly inducing parkinsonism, was biotransformed into optically active O- and/or N-methylated salsolinols 5, 6, and 7 by several Papaveraceae plants and tissue-culture cells derived from these plants. The bioconversion of racemic salsolinol into optically active tetrahydroisoquinolines has never been shown to occur, either in animals or in plants.