Pharmacological activity of Alkaloids: A Review

Abstract

Plant alkaloids, one of the largest groups of natural products, represent a highly diverse group of chemical entities. Historically, although plants containing alkaloids have been used by man for at least 3000 years as medicines, teas, and potions, the compounds responsible for activity were not isolated and characterized until the 19 th century. The basic character of alkaloids allows the formation of salts with mineral acids or organic acids, alkaloids salts are generally soluble in water and in dilute alcohols, and they are, except in rare cases, not soluble in organic solvents. They are classified using various signatures such as natural sources or chemical nature. The most correct and common classification of alkaloids is their distribution according to principal structure, the principal C-N skeleton.