Chemical Constituents
A. mexicana seeds contain 22–36% of a pale yellow non-edible oil, called argemone oil or katkar oil, which contains the toxic alkaloids sanguinarine and dihydrosanguinarine. Four quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids, dehydrocorydalmine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, and oxyberberine, have been isolated from the whole plant of Argemone mexicana.
The seed pods secrete a pale yellow latex when cut open. This argemone resin contains berberine and protopine.
Read more about this topic: Argemone Mexicana
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