HUSAIN KHUZEMA

646167
ASSIGNMENT CONT.

1. What is the difference between alkaloids-“alkali-like”- and naturally occurring

complex amines?
Amines are derivatives of ammonia in which one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by
alkyl groups.
Typical alkaloids are derived from plant sources. They are basic. They contain one or more
nitrogen atoms (usually in a heterocyclic ring) and they usually have a marked physiological
action on man or other animals.
Alkaloids are one class of naturally occurring complex amines present in certain plants. Non
plant derived naturally occurring complex amines include catecholamine neurotransmitters
(dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine) and histamine, which are found in animal tissue.

2. What is a'proto-alkaloid' or 'amino-alkaloid? Any other alkaloids, not

conforming to the general definition?
The name 'proto-alkaloid' or 'amino-alkaloid' is sometimes applied to compounds such as
hordenine, ephedrine and colchicine which lack one or more of the properties of typical
alkaloids.
Other alkaloids not conforming to the general definition are those synthetic compounds not
found in plants but very closely related to the natural alkaloids (e.g. homatropine). In
practice, those substances present in plants and giving the standard qualitative tests is termed
alkaloids, and frequently in plant surveys this evidence alone is used to classify a particular
plant as 'alkaloid-containing'.

3. What prompted the rapid structure elucidations of alkaloids in the first quarter
of the 19th century?
Modern methods and instrumentation.
The first isolations of alkaloids in the nineteenth century followed the reintroduction into
medicine of a number of alkaloid-containing drugs and were coincidental with the advent of
the percolation process for the extraction of drugs.

4. What is the potential chemotaxonomic significance of this group? [Ref:

Hegnauer, J of Ethnopharmacology (1986); Ram Singh JMPS (2016)]

Fungi- Lysergic acid derivatives and Sulphur-containing alkaloids.

Pteridophytes and gymnosperms: Lycopodium, ephedra and taxus alkaloids have medicinal
significance.

Angiosperms: Dicotyledon orders Salicales, Fagales, Cucurbitales and Oleales appear to be

alkaloid-free. Alkaloids are commonly found in the orders Centrospermae (Chenopodiaceae),
Magnoliales (Lauraceae, Magnoliaceae), Ranunculales (Berberidaceae, Menispermaceae,
Ranunculaceae), Papaverales (Papaveraceae, Fumariaceae), Rosales (Leguminosae,
subfamily Papilionaceae), Rutales (Rutaceae), Gentiales (Apocynaceae, Loganiaceae,
Rubiaceae), Tubiflorae (Boraginaceae, Convolvulaceae, Solanaceae) and Campanulales
(Campanulaceae, sub-family Lobelioideae; Compositae, subfamily Senecioneae).

5. Why produce alkaloids by cell, tissue and organ culture?

Production of alkaloids by these means has commercial potential. They are ways of
producing new alkaloids and of elucidating biosynthetic pathways.

6. Apart from Solanaceae & Erythroxylaceae, in which other families are tropane
found?
Convolvulaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Rhizophoraceae, Proteaceae, Cruciferae and Euphorbiaceae.

7. In stramonium leaf, why is their a limit to the percentage of stems of a certain

diameter?
The official drug should contain not more than 3% stem with a diameter exceeding 5 mm.
This is because the larger stems contain little alkaloid as there is a limit to the percentage of
stems of a certain diameter.

8. How does the BP TLC identity test enable identification of unofficial species?
The TLC is done of unknown and known samples, the known being a standard. The standard
has known points, if an unkown species gives a different rf values it contains something else
but if it is the same one then it contains the same components as the standard. For example,
the TLCtest for identity given in the BP enables other datura speciescontaining different
proportions of alkaloids to be detected. All Datura species contain those alkaloids found in
stramonium, but frequently hyoscine, rather than hyoscamine, is the principal alkaloid.

9. Why is alkaloid content range in prepared stramonium narrower than

stramonium leaf leaf BP? .
The stramonium leaf contains about 0.5% of alkaloids, where as the prepared stramonium
leaf BP has an alkaloid content of 0.23-0.27%.
 The preparation lowers the alkaloid content due to loss of content that may occur during
extraction, preparation and during drying.

10. What is the difference between USP & BP Belladona Leaf monographs?.
The Belladona leaf BP consists of dried leaves and occasionally fruit-bearing flowering
tops of AtropaBelladonaL. ; it contaims not less than 0.3% of total alkaloids.
Traditionally the BP drug consisted of all the aerial parts but under the European
requirements there is a limit of stem with a diameter exceeding 5mm.
The USP requires plant to have 0.35% alkaloid.

11. What is khatamine?

Khatamines are a group of phenylpropylamines (non heterocyclic alkaloids) from the leaves
of Cartha edulis. They are: cathinone, norpseudoephedrine and norephedrine.

12. Name a spp from the bean family (Fabaceae) likely to contain hallucinogenic
mescaline.
Acacia berlandieri

13. Show how alternative ways of obtaining paclitaxel have been unearthed, since it
was 1st isolated from Taxus brevifolia in 1971.
Paclitaxel is currently produced semisynthetically by chemical modification ofbaccatin III
which is isolated from the European yew tree, Taxus baccata.

14. What are calystegines?

These relatively new alkaloids are trihydroxy-, tetrahydroxy- or pentahydroxy derivatives of

nortropane.
They inhibit glycosidases and thus are potential candidates for the development of antiviral,
anticancer and antidiabetic drugs.

15. Is it worth adulterating commercial opium with say sugary fruits, gum,
powdered poppy capsules, today?
As far as legitimate commerce is concerned, such adulteration is now pointless because the
product is analysed and the price paid is governed by the content of morphine and other
alkaloids.

16. What attempts are there to reduce illicit traffic in opium?

 Finding alternative plants for the raw materials other than Papaver somniferum
 Banning the cultivation of the opium poppy.
 Allowing cultivation only under strict licenses.
 Eliminating the opium stage through the extraction of the whole poppy capsule or
the use of other species that do not have morphine.

17. What is the use of morphine ethers ethymorphine & pholcodeine

 Ethylmorphine is used as an analgesic and antitussive.

 Pholcodine is used as an antitussive.

18. Any Erythrina, Chendrodendron spp in E Africa? Their respective folkloric uses?

Erythrina abyssinicais found in the Marakwet community as Korkorwo and has been used for
the treatment of mumps.
Chondrodendron macrophyllum Hiern- The root is chewed and the sap swallowed to treat
kidney problems, sore throat, schistosomiasis, intestinal worms and venereal diseases. Root
scrapings are rubbed into topical scarifications to treat snakebites

19. Is a it possible for rye/wheat flour to be contaminated with ergot alkaloids ?

Yes, it is. The rye ergot fungus grows on rye and related cereals and produces ergot alkaloids
which can cause ergotism when consumed.

20. What is the significance of aspidosperma barks?

The bark is used as a tanning material. They also contain various indole alkaloids including
yohimbine and aspidospermine are also found in the bark and these are sources of alkaloids.