Alkaloids

Alkaloids basic structure

Alkaloids are secondary metabolites of a limited number of plants that have a significant physiological action on humans and animals. They may exist as in the free State or salt or N- oxides in nature.

Generally, they are white solids and they have a characteristic bitter tasting.  To identify alkaloids major tests have been done. Mayor’s reagent, Wagner’s reagent, Hager’s reagent, and Dragendroff’s reagent are the major tests involved in testing for alkaloids.

More importantly, there are significant effects of Alkaloids on humans. Most of the alkaloids have therapeutic value acting as muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, pain killers, mind-altering drugs, etc.  And also they have pharmacological actions like local anesthetics (cocaine), anti-tumor agents, anti- materials (quinine), antibacterial (berberine), anticholinergic, etc.

Especially psychoactive alkaloids that affect the nervous system can be categorized as stimulants, hallucinogens, depressants, and narcotics.  Cocaine, Ephedrine, Caffeine are some of the stimulants that act on CNS. Morphine, Codeine, Heroin act as depressants.  Tropane alkaloids can be considered as hallucinogens.

In the next few articles, extraction procedures of alkaloids, examples of alkaloids and their value will be discussed.