ALKALOIDS…..

PRESENTED BY:-
SYEDA BISMA.
HAFZA SHAHID.
NIMRA MUNIR.
PESENTED TO:-SIR IMRAN.
 ALKALOIDS:-
• one of a large group of small organic compounds, mainly
derived from amino acids, and containing nitrogen, found
in plants. They are water-soluble, usually bitter in taste
and are characterized by powerful physiological activity.
Examples are morphine, cocaine, atropine, quinine,
nicotine and caffeine. The term is also applied to
synthetic substances that have structures similar to plant
alkaloids, such as procaine. When treated with acids
they are converted to water-soluble salts. In cases of
poisoning by alkaloids the recommended antidote is
tannic acid, but heavy metal salts and iodine also
precipitate them. Includes pyrrolizidine and solanaceous
alkaloids.
 HISTORY OF ALKALOIDS…..

• Among the most notorious poisons in the history of civilization are

the alkaloids. Very early in history, human beings learned to exploit
these organic compounds for different purposes such as therapeutic
treatment, defense, cosmetics, and getting food. They also used
alkaloids to murder disagreeable fellow beings. Because they were
not aware of the toxic effects of some special alkaloids, the use of
these compounds led to small and great disasters.
• During the course of civilization, knowledge of natural plant poisons
and, accordingly, knowledge of poisonous plants was lost,
especially in towns, which is documented by the increasing number
of modern cases of poisoning
 OCCURANCE:-
• The number of
structurally different
alkaloids has been
estimated to be 6000.
Most of them occur
inflora,∼1%in
animals, and not
more than 0.5% in
fungi and bacteria.
 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES;-
• Although numerous alkaloids exist, they have similar
properties when separated. In general, they are
colorless, crystalline solids that are basic, have a
ring structure, and have definite melting points. They are
also derived from plants and have a bitter taste.
However, some exceptions are known. For instance,
some alkaloids are not basic and others are brightly
colored or liquid. Other alkaloids are produced
synthetically. Most alkaloids are also chiral molecules,
meaning they have non super imposable mirror images.
This results in isomers that have different chemical
properties. For example, one isomer may have a
physiological function while the other does not.
 THERAPEUTIC USES:-
• The physiological effects of alkaloids have
made them important compounds in
medicine. They have been used as
painkillers, stimulants, muscle relaxants,
tranquilizers, and anesthetics. The four
types of alkaloids that have the most
important economic impact include
opiates, cocaine, caffeine, and nicotine.
 Applications of alkaloids:-
• Quinine:-
• Quinine was purified as early as 1823,
and soon it replaced crude cinchona
bark as the standard treatment for 
malaria. Not until the 1930s was
quinine replaced by synthetic
analogues that offered fewer side
effects and a more reliable supply.
Quinine is still used as the principal
flavoring agent in tonic water—a
beverage named for its ability to
prevent malarial symptoms.
• Cinchona bark also produces
quinidine. It is used primarily to control
abnormalities of heart rhythm such as
fibrillation, a series of rapidly quivering
beats that do not pump any blood,
and heart block, a condition in which
electrical currents fail to coordinate the
contractions of the upper and lower
chambers of the heart.
 Vinca alkaloids:-
• Vincaleukoblastine and
vincristine, two alkaloids
derived from the
periwinkle plant (Catharanthus
roseus), are used effectively
for the treatment of white-
blood-cell cancers.
Vincaleukoblastine is
especially useful against
lymphoma (cancer of the
lymph glands), while
vincristine is used against the
most common form of
childhood leukemia.
 ATROPINE:-
• Atropine is an alkaloid
produced by several plants,
including
deadly nightshade (Atropa
belladonna), Jimson weed
(Datura stramonium), and
henbane (Hyoscyamus
niger). It has a variety of
medical uses, as it is able to
relax smooth muscle by
blocking action of the
neurotransmitter
acetylcholine. Atropine is
most commonly used to
dilate the pupil.
 Pilocarpine:-
• Pilocarpine, derived from
several Brazilian shrubs
of the genus Pilocarpus,
is another alkaloid used
in ophthalmology, the
medical specialty that
treats the eye. This drug
stimulates the drainage of
excess fluid from the
eyeball, relieving the
high pressure in the eye
caused by glaucoma. If
untreated, glaucoma can
lead to blindness.
 Classification of alkaloids:-
They are broadly classified into
• Proto or pseudo alkaloids
• True or heterocyclic alkaloids
• Pseudo alkaloids
• The examples for pseudo alkaloids are ephedrine, colchicines, aconitine etc
• True alkaloids
• They are again subdivided into
• Indole alkaloids eg. Strychnine, reserpine, ergotamine.
• Steroidal alkaloids e.g. Conicine, withanine.
• Quinoline alkaloids eg.quinine, quinidine.
• Pyridine alkaloids e.g. Trigonelline.
• Pyrrolidine alkaloids e.g. nicotine
• Tropane group e.g. Atropine, cocaine
• Iso-quinoline group e.g. Papaverine, narcine, berberine.
• Phenanthrene group e.g. Morphine, codeine.
• Phenethylamine group eg.ephedrine
• Purine group etc eg caffeine
• Other than these there are quaternary ammonium compounds like choline, neurine, muscharine.
 General scheme:-
(extraction of alkaloids)
• Weighing. • Extraction
• Soaking in using
alcohol. soxhelet
• Boiling in principle.
water. • Identification
test applied.
 Weighing:-
• First of all an accurate amount of drug is
weighed.
• Soaking:-
• Then soaked in 0.1NAcOH for 2HOUR.
• BOILING:-
• THEN BOILED IN WATER FOR 0.5
HOURS
 Extraction:-
• Experimental conditions are worked out on a laboratory
scale for the removal of alkaloids from seeds of bitter
Peruvian lupin, Lupinus mutabilis. Four trials were
carried out in this study using dilute aqueous solutions of
HC1 and AcOH, and water. A simple und quick
procedure is recommended for the removal of alkaloids
from the whole seeds. The seeds are first soaked in
0.1N AcOH for 2hr, then boiled in water for 0.5hr, and
eventually extracted with water for 8hr following the
Soxhlet principle. More than 95% of the alkaloids are
extracted by this procedure without leading to
environmental pollution. The debittered whole seeds
have a bland taste and contain around 50% protein and
20% fat Following Soxhlet extraction, the alkaloids are
easily obtained as a side product.
 PURIFICATION OF ALKALOIDS:-
• An efficient method for purification of alkaloids.By using HPLC purification is
done, featuring a polar-copolymerized stationary phase named C18HCE. As
ionizable solutes, the crude alkaloid sample often suffered from serious
peak tailing problem on conventional RP-LC columns, and the separation
would rapidly became destroyed with the increasing of load amount.
However, on the new stationary phase, good peak shapes (asymmetry
factor <1.5) as well as good loadability were easily obtained in a commonly
used acidic mobile phase condition. The loading amount could reach 10 mg
per injection on an analytical C18HCE column for laboratory-scale
purification. About 6.8 mg of palmatine (HPLC purity >98%) and 44.4 mg of
dehydrocorydaline (HPLC purity >98%) were rapidly derived from 200 mg of
the crude alkaloid sample, and the recoveries of these two compounds were
76.5 and 81.7%, respectively. The purified alkaloids were characterized by
comparing retention times with standard compounds as well as (1)H-NMR
data. The new method is simple and high yielding, and it may provide a
promising tool for purification of alkaloids as well as other alkaline
compounds.
EXTRACTION OF ALKALOIDS:-
• EXTRACTION OF
ALKALOIDS FROM
MUSHROOMS:-
 IDENTIFICATION OF
ALKALOIDS:-
• 1. Brown – Ring Test :
• It is used for chemical analysis
of nitrates in which the solution
to be tested is mixed with iron
sulphate solution in a test tube
and concentrated
H2SO4 (sulphuric acid) is
carefully poured along the side
of the test tube.
• In nitrate containing
substances a brown ring is
formed where the layer of acid
touches the solution
(FeNO)SO4
 FLAME TEST:-
• It is used to identify certain
elements in which a clean
platinum wire is dipped into the
mixture to be tested and the
wire is heated using a busen
flame.
• The presence of certain
elements can be detected by
the change in the colour of
flame.
• For example, a brilliant organe
– yellow will indicate sodium;
crimson, strontium; and apple
green barium.
 BEILSTEIN’S TEST:-
It is used for the detection of
halogen in an organic
compound in which a
clean copper wire is
heated in an oxidizing
flam till the flame is no
longer green.
• The wire is then dipped in
a solution of the
substance to be analyzed
and heated again. If CI,
Br or I is present the
flame turns a bright
green.
 FEHLING’S TEST:-

• It is used to detect sugars

and aldehydes in a
solution. Equal amounts
of solution of copper
sulphate (Fehling A) and
sodium tartrate (Fehling
B) are mixed in a test
tube, On boiling this with
a given solution a red
precipitate forms is sugar
or aldehyde is present.
 MOLISCH’S TEST:-
• 6. Molish’s Test :
• It is used to detect
carbohydrates in a solution.
The solution to be tested is
mixed with a small quantity of
alcoholic alphanaphthol and
concentrated sulphuric acid is
slowly poured down the side of
the test tube.

When the two liquids meet the

formation of deep violet rings
indicates presence of
carbohydrate.
 RAST’S METHOD:-
• It is used to determine
molecular weight by
measuring the
depression of freezing
point of a camphor by
a known weight of the
solute.
 SCHIFF’S TEST:-
• It is used to distinguish between
aldehydes and ketones. An aqueous
solution of resoniline and sulphurous
acid (Schiff’s reagent) is used to test
for the presence of aldehydes, which
oxidize the reduced from of the dye
rosaniline backIt is used to distinguish
between aldehydes and ketones. An
aqueous solution of resoniline and
sulphurous acid (Schiff’s reagent) is
used to test for the presence of
aldehydes, which oxidize the reduced
from of the dye rosaniline back to its
original magenta colour.
• The aldehydes restore the colour
immediately whereas ketones, restore
the colour slowly. to its original
magenta colour.
• The aldehydes restore the colour
immediately whereas ketones, restore
the colour slowly.
“THANKYOU”