Alkaloids represent a highly diverse group of compounds that are related only by the occurrence of a nitrogen atom in a heterocyclic ring. Plants are estimated to produce approximately 12,000 different alkaloids, which can be organized into groups according to their carbon skeletal structures. Alkaloid biosynthesis in plants involves many catalytic steps, catalyzed by enzymes that belong to a w...

Amaryllidaceae occupies a prominent position among the most important alkaloid-rich plant families in globe. Plants of this family show an exceptional ability to produce myriad structurally diverse alkaloids with noteworthy pharmacological and therapeutic potential. Of these alkaloids, narciprimine is rare weakly basic phenanthridone alkaloid that was identified from some species belonging gene...

Supercritical fluid extraction was used to extract the alkaloid N-[7-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2(Z),4(Z)-heptadienoyl]pyrrolidine from leaves of Piper amalago L. A three-level orthogonal array design matrix, OAD OA9(34), was used for optimization of the parameters of supercritical extraction of the alkaloid, employing supercritical carbon dioxide: extraction time (20, 40, and 60 min), temper...

Shoot biomass production, alkaloid content and composition as influence by cadmium, manganese, nickel and lead at uniform dose of 5 mM were investigated in Catharanthus roseus plants grown in sand culture. Treatment with Mn, Ni, and Pb significantly enhanced total root alkaloid accumulation. Cd and Ni treatment resulted in two-fold where as Pb treatment resulted in three fold increase in serpen...

Plant and plant products are the major source for the discovery of new drugs. Alangium salviifolium utilized in traditional medicine has resourceful medicinal properties.The aim of present study was to evaluate the biological activity of alkaloid β Carboline harmaline of Alangium salviifolium in cell growth activity inhibition. The potentiality of the alkaloid compound in inhibition of MTHFR wi...

The Amaryllidaceae family is well known for its pharmacologically active alkaloids. An important approach to treat Alzheimer’s disease involves the inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Galanthamine, an Amaryllidaceae alkaloid, is an effective, selective, reversible, and competitive AchE inhibitor. This work was aimed at studying the alkaloid composition of four wild Argentinian...

Hairy root culture plays an important role in investigation of alkaloid production in culture in vitro. The complexity of scientific work and the production capacity limitations associated with whole plant systems and unorganized cells can be overcome using culture of hairy roots. This paper presents an example of a strategy to produce secondary metabolites from plants, in which we investigated...

Conopharyngine, the major alkaloid present in the leaves of Tabernaemontana (Conopharyngia) pachysiphon var. cumminsi (Stapf) H. Huber was isolated and identified by Thomas & Starmer (1963). The same alkaloid has also been found in the stem bark of a Nigerian variety of the same species by Patel & Poisson (1966) and in the stem bark of Conopharyngia durissima by Renner, Prins & Stoll (1959). Co...