Alkaloids Flashcards
What are alkaloids?
Products from secondary metabolism in plants
What are alkaloids used for in plants?
Bitter taste to defend against herbivores
A way to store N
Modern uses of alkaloids
Caffiene
Nicotine
Cocaine
Basic amine + acid ——> ?
Salt of weak base
What are most alkaloids soluble in?
organic solvents
What is the isolation and extraction process of alkaloids?
Power plant material
Extract with dilute acid
Wash with organic solvent
Neutralise with a base
Free base may need extracted with organic solvent
Ways to purify alkaloids?
Fractional Precipitation
Fractional Crystallisation
Steam Distillation
Sublimation
Column Chromatography
How does steam distillation purify alkaloids?
Volatile or low BP alkaloids are carried in steam
Alkaloids will separate from water as they are immiscible
How does sublimation purify alkaloids?
Solid phase to vapour phase
Cooling quickly to return to solid phase
Use cold-finger apparatus with vacuum
Material with does not sublime stay in test tube
How does chromatography purify alkaloids?
Separates alkaloids based according to polarity
Hager’s Reagent
Piric acid
Piccrates form
Yellow/orange colour
Mayer’s Reagent
Mercuric potassium iodide solution
White/yellow
Wagner’s Reagent
Potassium Iodide
Red/Brown precipitate
Dragendorff’s reagent
Potassium bismuth iodide spolution
Orange precipitate
What is transamination?
Substitution between amino group and ketone of neighbouring keto acid
What is decarboxylation?
Carboxylic acid on the amino acid is removed in the form of CO2
How are amino alkaloids different?
N is in amino group and not a member of a heterocyclic ring
How do ephedrine and pseudoephedrine differ?
Pseudoephedrine has different stereochemistry
What are the effects of ephedrine?
Increased BP
Vasoconstrictor
Appetite suppression
How many enantiomers are there for 2 chiral centres?
4
What type of alkaloid is methamphetamine?
Amino
How do beta blockers work?
cardioactive b-adrenoceptor blocking agents, control the rate and force of cardiac contractions in the management of hypertension