Alkaloids and Terpenoids

ALKALOIDS
AND
TERPENOIDS
1.
2. ALKALOIDS :-
DEFINITION-
❖ Alkaloids, which means “alkali-like”
substances, are basic nitrogenous
compounds of plant or animal origin.
❖ The nitrogen is usually contained in a
heterocyclic ring system and it mainly
derived from amino acid.
3.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:-
1. Solubility:
➢ Many alkaloids are soluble in organic solvents such as ether,
chloroform, and benzene.
➢ They are often less soluble in water, but this can vary among
different alkaloids.
2. Melting Point:
➢ Alkaloids can have varying melting points, and these can be
used as a characteristic property for identification.
➢ Some alkaloids have high melting points, while others have lower
melting points.
.
3. Odor and Taste:
4. ➢ Alkaloids can exhibit diverse odors and tastes.
➢ Some alkaloids may have a bitter taste, which is a common
characterstics.
4. Color:
➢ The color of alkaloids can vary widely, ranging from
colorless to yellow, orange, or even dark brown.
➢ Some alkaloids may exhibit fluorescence under ultraviolet
light.
5. Crystalline Structure:
➢ Alkaloids often form crystals, and the crystal structure can
be specific to the particular alkaloid.
➢ Crystalline characteristics can be used for identification
purposes.
5.
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:-
1. Basicity:
➢ Alkaloids are characterized by their basic nature due to the
presence of a nitrogen atom in their structure.
➢ They can react with acids to form salts. The salt forms are often
more water-soluble than the free base alkaloids.
2. Amphoteric Nature:-
➢ Alkaloids can exhibit both basic and acidic properties.
➢ The basicity arises from the presence of a lone pair of electrons
on the nitrogen atom, while some functional groups in the
structure can contribute to acidic properties.
6.
3. Hydrolysis:
➢ Some alkaloids can undergo hydrolysis reactions, especially
those with ester or amide functional groups. Hydrolysis can break
down the alkaloid into its constituent parts.
4. Reactivity with Reagents:
➢ Alkaloids can react with specific reagents to form characteristic
derivatives, which can be useful for identification and analysis.
7.
CLASSIFICATION OF ALKALOIDS
There are three central types of alkaloids:
1. True alkaloids
2. Protoalkaloid
3. Pseudoalkaloids
8. 1. True alkaloids:-
➢ These alkaloids are obtained from amino acids and they share
a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring.
➢ They are highly reactive in nature and have potent biological

activity.
➢ They form water-soluble salts, and many of them are crystalline

in nature, which conjugates with acid and forms a salt.
➢ Almost all true alkaloids are bitter in taste and solid, except
nicotine, which is a brown liquid .
9.
10. 2. Protoalkaloids:-
➢ This type of alkaloids contains a nitrogen atom, which is derived from

an amino acid but is not part of the heterocyclic ring system.
➢ Yohimbine, mescaline, and hordenine are the main alkaloids of this

type.
➢ They are used in various health disorders, including mental illness,

pain, and neuralgia.
11.
12. 3.Pseudoalkaloids:-
➢ Pseudoalkaloids are not directly derived from amino acids.
➢ They are connected with amino acid pathways where they are
derived from by amination or transamination reaction.
➢ As they are derived from other sources of non-amino acid, that’s

why they are known as pseudoalkaloids.
➢ Capsaicin, caffeine, ephedrine are very common examples of

pseudoalkaloids
13.
14.
APPLICATIONS OF ALKALOIDS
➢ In plants, alkaloids serve as protective agents against predators
and play a role in regulating growth.
➢ Alkaloids are extensively used in medicine.
➢ They are applied in reversing multidrug resistance in cancer
treatment, treating breast cancer, and in organic synthesis.
➢ Additionally, alkaloids play a crucial role in various analytical
techniques like thin-layer chromatography and colorimetric assays
for identifying and quantifying alkaloids in plant extracts or other
samples.
15.
TERPENOIDS:-
➢ Terpenoids are naturally occurring
hydrocarbons of plant origin of the general
formula (C5H8)n
➢ The (C5H8)n unit is called as isoprene unit (2-

methyl 1,3 butadiene).
➢ Terpenoids are volatile substances which give
plants and flowers their fragrance.
➢ They occur widely in leaves and fruits of
higher plants conifers, citrus and eucalyptus.
16.
EXAMPLES OF TERPENOIDS
17.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:-
➢ Terpenoids are colorless liquid.
➢ Soluble ion organic solvents and in soluble in water.
➢ Most of the terpenoids are optically active.
➢ Volatile in nature.
➢ Boiling point 250-180°C.
➢ Many terpenoids are highly flammable due to their hydrocarbon
nature.
18.
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:-
➢ They are unsaturated compounds.
➢ They undergo addition reaction with hydrogen, halogen, halogen
acids to form addition products.
➢ They undergo polymerization and dehydrogenation in the ring.
➢ On thermal decomposition, terpenoids gives isoprene as one of
the product.
➢ Terpenoids can undergo chemical reactions such as oxidation,
reduction, and rearrangement. These reactions can lead to the
formation of new terpenoids or other secondary metabolites with
different chemical properties.
19. CLASSIFICATION OF TERPENOIDS:-
Most natural terpenoid hydrocarbons have the general formula (C5H8)n.
They can be classified on the basis of number of carbon atoms present
in the structure.
20.
APPLICATIONS OF TERPENOIDS:-
➢ It is used in analgesic, carminative and antiseptic.
➢ It is used for perfumery and also as a flavouring agent.
➢ It act as precursor for this synthesis of B-ionine, which further used
for synthesis of vitamin A.
➢ It is also used in the preparation of soap, cosmetics, perfumery &
food articles.
➢ It is also used in pesticides and insecticides.

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ALKALOIDS

➢ They are highly reactive in nature and have potent biological

➢ They form water-soluble salts, and many of them are crystalline

➢ This type of alkaloids contains a nitrogen atom, which is derived from

➢ Yohimbine, mescaline, and hordenine are the main alkaloids of this

➢ They are used in various health disorders, including mental illness,

➢ As they are derived from other sources of non-amino acid, that’s

➢ Capsaicin, caffeine, ephedrine are very common examples of

➢ The (C5H8)n unit is called as isoprene unit (2-

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