THIRD YEAR COURSE

DEFINITION:
 Alkaloids (mean alkali-like substances),
 Basic nitrogenous compounds,
 Nitrogen in a heterocyclic ring system and a few do
not contain nitrogen in a ring system,
 Of plant or animal origin
 Possessing a marked physiological action

Sources of alkaloids:
a) Plant sources:
The important alkaloid-bearing families are:
Liliaceae,Amarylidaceae,Asteraceae,Ranunculaceae,
Papaveraceae, Leguminosae, Rutaceae, Loganiaceae,
Apocyanaceae, Solanaceae and Rubiaceae.
Function of alkaloids in plants:
1) Protective for the plant against insects
2) As end products of metabolism.
3) As waste products.
4) Source for energy and reserve of nitrogen. 
Nomenclature:
Alkaloids terminate with the suffix-ine, their names
may be derived from the:
Genus name: e.g. Atropine from Atropa
Species name: e.g. Cocaine from coca
Common name: e.g. Ergotamine from ergot
Physiological activity: e.g. Emetine (emetic)
Discoverer e.g. Pelletierine from pelletier
Sometimes prefixes and suffixes are usually added to
describe related alkaloids:
A) PREFIXES:
Nor - : Designates N-demethylation e.g.
norpseudoephedrine and nornicotine
Apo - : Designates dehydration e.g. apomorphine
Neo - , iso - , pseudo - , epi - : Indicates different types
of isomers.
Seco - : means Ring opening.

B) SUFFIXES:
dine: Refer to isomerism as in the case of the
Cinchona alkaloids, quinidine and cinchonidine are the
optical isomers of quinine and cinchonine, respectively.
 Classification of Alkaloids:

TRUE ALKALOIDS PROTOALKALOIDS PSEUDOALKALOIDS

Derived from amino Derived from simple NOT derived from amino
acids amines acids

Basic in Nature Basic in Nature Very weak basicity

N atom in N atom not in N atom in heterocyclic

heterocyclic ring heterocyclic ring ring or not

e.g. Atropine, e.g. Mescaline, e.g. Caffeine

Morphine Ephedrine
Physicochemical Properties:
Physical characters:
a)Alkaloids are crystalline solids.
b)Colorless.
c)Free bases are soluble in organic solvents and
insoluble in water.
Chemical characters:
a)Basicity:
The basicity of alkaloids is due to the presence
of a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom.
Alkaloids are converted to their salts by
aqueous mineral acids.
Alkaloids occur as free bases, salts or N-oxides
(N→O). When the salt of an alkaloid is treated
with hydroxyl ion, nitrogen gives up a hydrogen
ion and the free amine is liberated.

Alkaloids contain N atom either in a heterocyclic

ring or in the side chain.
a.Primary amines: Norpseudoephedrine
b.Secondary amines: Ephedrine
c.Tertiary amines: Atropine
d.Quaternary amines: Tubocurarine
Detection of alkaloids:
A.Precipitating agents:
Alkaloids are ppted from their neutral or acidic
solution by reagents contain heavy metals as Hg,
Bi.
1ml alkaloidal sol. in a test tube + 1ml dil HCl
REAGENT PPT.

1.Mayer’s Reagent Creamy white ppt

2.Wagner’s Reagent Brown ppt
3.Dargendorff (Kraut’s) Orange to reddish
brown ppt
4.Phosphomolybdic acid White ppt
5.Tannic acid White ppt
B. Coloring agents:
 Give characteristic colour with alkaloids and most
contain C.H2SO4 and C.HNO3
 in a porcelin 1ml alkaloidal sol. E.t.d add the
colouring reagent.
1. Erdmann’s reagent: Conc. nitric acid / conc. H2SO4
2. Froehd’s reagent: Ammonium molybdate / conc.
H2SO4
3. Mandalin’s reagent: Ammonium vanadate / conc.
H2SO4
4. Marquis‘ reagent: Formaldehyde / conc. H2SO4

 The colors formed are characteristic. The tests are

sensitive to micro amounts and can be used for
colorimetric assay.
 1. QUININE
NATURE :
Dry Cinchona Bark. C. succirubra,
C.Ledgeriana
Family : Rubiaceae.

PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIONS :
Anti-malarial.
 N
QUININ
E

H
OH

N
GENERAL PPTING AGENTS :
1. Mayer’s reagent : creamy white ppt
2. Wagner’s reagent : reddish brown ppt
3. Tannic acid : yellowish white ppt
4. Hgcl2 reagent : white ppt
5. Phosphomolybidic acid: white ppt

GENERAL COLOURING AGENTS :

1. Mandalin’s reagent : -ve
2. Froehd’s reagent : -ve
3. Marqui’s reagent : -ve
4. Erdmann’s reagent: -ve
5. Conc. HNO3 reagent : yellow colour
 Add dil H2SO4 till full test tube

ml alkaloidal 1 Blue flourescence

solution
 FINALLY

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