BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS OF ACTIVE SUBSTANCES IN COLCHICUM-AUTUMNALE

At present time, the enzymology of plant secondary metabolism is inten sively investigated. The elucidation of biogenetic schemes of alkaloid s releaved that a relative small number of basic chemical reactions ca n account for their great structural variability. The condensation of an amine with an aldehyde and the oxidative phenolic coupling are disc ussed in relation to the biogenesis of bicyclic bases: Amaryllidacae a lkaloids, benzylisoquinolines (morphinanes, aporphines) and 1-phenylet hylisoquinolines (colchicine). The results of nutrition experiments ar e discussed, which allowed to formulate the biogenetic scheme of colch icine. Further the enzymological and certain molecular-biological aspe cts of the formation and regulation of plant phenolic compounds are di scussed. The enzymological study of the biosynthesis of colchicine and phenolic compounds in Colchicum autumnale is still at the very beginn ing.