ALKALOIDS

Definition: Organic products of natural or synthetic origin, basic in nature, contain one or more
nitrogen atoms, normally in heterocyclic ring, possess physiological function in human or animal body
in small quantities.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
STATE
• Most alkaloids – Colourless, crystalline solids.
Few alkaloids are amorphous solids, e.g. Emetine.
• Some are liquids that are either: Volatile, e.g. Sparteine, nicotine and coniine.
Non-volatile, e.g. pilocarpine and hyoscine.
COLOUR
But some are coloured
• Berberine - yellow.
• Betanidine - red
• Salts of sanguinarine – copper red.
SOLUBILITY
Generally, the bases are soluble in organic solvents and insoluble in water.
• Salts are usually soluble in water and, insoluble or sparingly soluble in organic solvents.
Exceptions
Caffeine and colchicine – freely soluble in water.
Salts insoluble in water: Quinine sulphate: 1 in 1000 parts of water,
Qunine HCl 1 in less than 1 parts of water.

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:
 Basic in nature –due to lone pair of electrons in nitrogen.
 Basic character – enhanced by adjacent group if electron releasing.
 Turns neutral or acidic – adjacent group is electron withdrawing.
 Alkaloids with basic character get decompose, cause problem during storage.
Salt formation with inorganic acid - prevent decomposition of alkaloids. of Pharmacy
• Primary amines R1-NH2 e.g. Mescaline.
• Secondary amines R2-NH e.g. Ephedrine.
• Tertiary amines R3-N e.g. Atropine.
• Quaternary ammonium salts R4-N e.g d-Tubocurarine.
 56 DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE:
• Limitely distributed in monocots, Pteridophytes, gymnosperms, algae and fungi (except in ergot).
• Mostly distributes in dicots.
• Like 40 families – Ranunculaceae, Rutaceae, Rubiaceae, Solanaceae, Papaveraceae, Berberidaceae,
Apocynaceae, Compositae.
• Related alkaloids are present in different spp of same genus or related genus of same family.
• Not limited to plant kingdom only– amphibians, repti.
• 300 alkaloids – skin of amphibians.
 Occur is any part of the plant.
 Seeds- Nuxvomica, Areca, Physostigma
 Roots- Rauwolfia, Ashwagandha, belladona
 Bark- Kurchi, Cinchona
 Leaf- Coca, Lobelia, Duboisia
 Fruits – Conium
 Occur in association with characteristic
 Tropane alkaloids- esters
 Cinchona alkaloids – quinic acid or cinchotannic acid
 Opium – Meconic acid

FUNCTION IN PLANTS:
 Act as protective against insects and herbivores due to their bitterness and toxicity.
 In certain cases, the final products of detoxification (waste products).
 Source of nitrogen.
 Sometimes, act as growth regulators in certain metabolic systems.
 Act as carriers within plants for acids – Tropane alkaloids from root to aerial parts.

CHEMICAL TESTS
QUALITATIVE TESTS:
 Mayer’s reagent: Potassium mercuric iodide - Cream precipitate
 Wagner's test: Iodine in potassium iodide- Reddish brown precipitate
 Hager's test: Saturated solution of Picric acid- Yellow precipitate
 Dragendorff: Potassium Bismuth Iodide- Reddish Brown precipitate
 Chemical tests with heavy metals – not limited to alkaloids – proteins, coumarins, α
pyrone gives ppt
 Tannic acid test:- drug solution + few drops of tannic acid asolution- buff coloured ppt.
 Ammonia Reineckate test: drug solution + slightly acidified (HCl) + saturated solution of
ammonium Reineckate- pink flocculent ppt.
 CLASSIFICATION OF ALKALOIDS:
 Pharmacological classification
 Taxonomical classification
 Biosynthetic classification
 Chemical classification
1. Pharmacological classification
• Based on pharmacological activity
 CNS Stimulant – Nuxvomica, coffee, tea
 Anticholinergic – Belladona, Datura, Stramonium

2. Taxonomical Clasification
• Classification is based on their distribution in various plant families
 Solanaceous alkaloids - Belladona, Datura, Stramonium, Hyoscyamus
 Apocynaceae – Rauwolfia, kurchi, Vinca
3. Biosynthetic classification
 Alkaloids derived from tryptophan – All indole alkaloids
 Alkaloids derived from tyrosine – opium alkaloids
 Alkaloids derived from phenyl alanine– Ephedrine, mescaline
 Alkaloids derived from Lysine – Anabasine, Nicotine

4. Chemical classification
EXTRACTION OF ALKALOIDS
 Estimation of Alkaloids
 Chemical assays
 Spectroscopic methods
 Chromatographic techniques

VINCA
Synonym : Periwinkle, Sadabahar
Biological source : Vinca is obtained from dried whole plant of Cataranthus roseus. It is
also known as Vinca rosea.
Family : Apocynaceae
Microscopy :

 Upper surface shows presence of single layer of rectangular celled epidermis with unicellular
covering trichomes.
 Spongy parenchyma.
 Cruciferous stomata / Anisocytic stomata present.

Active Constituents:
 Large number of alkaloids are present.
 20 dimeric indole – dihydroindole alkaloids – Vincristine, vinblastine – Oncolytic activity.
 Other alkaloids – ajmalicine, serpentine, lochnerine, tetrahydroalstonine.
Chemical tests:
General chemical tests for alkaloids
• Dragendroff’s test
• Mayer’s test
 Wagner’s test
• Hager’s test
Uses :
 Used as a antineoplastic agent.
 Used in Hodgkin’s lymphomas.
 Used in acute lymphocytic leukemia in child.
 Antidiabetic action.