ALKALOIDS

DEFINITION
“Alkaloids are a group of naturally occuring
chemical compound that most contain basic
nitrogen atom.”
 CLASSIFICATION OF ALKALOIDS
• Alkaloids are divided into 5 major groups:
 True alkaloids
 Proto alkaloids
 Poyamine alkaloids
 Peptides and Cyclopeptides alkaloids
 Pseudoalkaloids.
 1.TRUE ALKALOIDS
DEFINATION:-
“Alkaloids containing nitrogen in the
heterocycle and originate from amino acid.”
EXAMPLES:-
1.Atropine
2.Nicotine
3.Morphine
ATROPINE
MORPHINE
 2.PROTOALKALOIDS
DEFINATION:-
“Those alkaloids which contain
nitrogen(but not the nitrogen heterocycle)
and also originate from amino acids.”
EXAMPLE:-
1.Mescaline
2.Adrenaline
3.Ephedrine.
MESCALINE
ADRENALINE
EPHEDRINE
 3.POYAMINE ALKALOIDS
DEFINATION:-
“Alkaloids that are
derivatives of putrescine, spermidine
and spermine.”
 EXAMPLE:-

Putrescine

Spermidine

Spermine
4.PEPTIDES AND CYCLOPEPTIDES ALKALOIDS

DEFINATION:-
“These alkaloids are
obtained from plants, fungi and
some animals like shell fish.”
 These alkaloids exhibit a wide range
of biological activities including:
Insecticidal
Sedative
Antimicrobial
Antiplasmodial
Immunostimulant properties.
EXAMPLES:-
1.Ergotamine
2.Pandamine
ERGOTAMINE
PANDAMINE
 5.PSEUDOALKALOIDS
DEFINATION:-
“Alkaloids like compounds
that do not originate from amino
acids , originate from amino acid
phenylalanine, but require their
nitrogen atom not from the amino
acid but through the transamination.”
 EXAMPLES:-

Terpene-like, steroid like, purine-like alkaloids

such as:
1.Caffeine
2.Theobromine
3.Theacrine
4.Theophylline.
CAFFEINE
THEOBROMINE
THEOPHYLLINE
 PROPERTIES OF ALKALOIDS
 Contain oxygen in their molecular structure.
 Usually colorless crystals at ambient condition.
 Oxygen free radical such as Nicotine are colorless
oily liquid.
 Some are colored such as berberine(yellow).
 Laevoratory (optically active).
 Some are optically inactive(EX: papaverine).
 Bitter in taste,pronounced physiologically activity.
 Curative properties.
 Useful in medicines.
 Powerful poisons.
 Basic in nature.
 Precipated out by the common alkaloid
reagent.
 Free bases alkaloids are insoluble in water but
soluble in most organic solvent.
 Form salt with acids, soluble in water and
ethanol but poorly soluble in organic solvent.