ALKALOIDS II
ISOQUINOLINE ALKALOIDS
 Ring structure is the basis of use
 Methylation of phenanthrene
ring forms the benzylisoquinoline
structure
 SAM = S-adenosyl methionine
A. IPECAC
 Causes emesis; used only if
patient is conscious or the poison
won't cause tissue damage upon
emesis
 Dover's powder was used as
antipyretic to cool the body by
evaporating sweat
 Has emetince, cephaeline, and
psychotrine
Emetine
 Kills trophozoite forms of
entamoeba histolytica via
inhibition of protein synthesis;
never effective on the cyst form
B. HYDRASTIS
 Has berberine (yellow colored
alkaloid) and hydrastine
C. SANGUINARIA
 Has sanguinarine, colored
alkaloid, which is red
 Acrid emetic or foul smelling and
tasting
D. CURARE
 Used in animal hunting to cause
paralysis
 Has tubocurarine causes paralysis
by binding to ACH receptors
 Diagnostic aid in myasthenia
gravis with generalized weakness
and rapid fatigue
E. OPIUM
 Aka the stone of immortality
(coined by Paracelsus)
 Has morphine which is a narcotic
analgesic
 Can cause miosis (pupil
constriction) and constipation
F. INDIAN OPIUM
 Has codeine (methyl morphine)
and noscapine which are
antitussives
Apomorphine
 Synthetic opioid used to treat
Parkinson's disease
Noscapine, Thebaine and Papaverine
 Synthetic opioids
Paregoric
 Used as antiperistaltic with no
analgesic effect
G. POPPY SEED OR MAW SEED
 Seeds don’t contain alkaloids
 
Morphine
 Most important alkaloids
 Under SCHEDULE II in narcotics
according to Controlled
Substances Act
 Can cause CNS stimulation and
then depression of respiratory
system
Receptors
o Mu
o Kappa
o Delta - foe enkephalines
o Nociception - binds to nociceptin
or orphanin
o Zeta - regulates tumorigenic
tissues
 
Codeine
 Most widely used; later modified
to dextromethorphan to prevent
CNS stimulation
 5x less potent than morphine
 
Heroin
 Aka diacetylmorphine (DAM), the
acetylated form of morphine
 2x more potent than morphine
and has more prominent CNS
effects
 Under SCHEDULE II
 
Hydromorphone
 Treat moderate to severe pain
 Extended release form for around
the clock treatment
 Can cause respiratory depression
 
ALKALOIDS II
 
INDOLE ALKALOIDS
A. RAUWOLFIA SERPENTINA
 Has reserpine, an
antihypertensive agent and
antipsychotic drug
Reserpine
 Depletes/binds and inhibits
catecholamine pump to inhibit
the uptake neurotransmitter
such as norepinephrine and
epinephrine (hypertensive),
dopamine (induce psychosis e.g.
schizophrenia), and 5-HT
 Blocks VMAT (vesicular
monoamine transporter)
B. YOHIMBINE
 Opposite to clonidine (used in
hypertension as SL)
C. CATHARANTHUS
 Aka chichirica; Vinca species used
as anticancer for the
management of leukemia
(increased WBC) and other blood
related cancers
 Cisplatin is another antineoplastic
agent
 
Vincristine Sulfate or Vindesine
 For Wilm's tumor, a rare kidney
cancer in children below 5 years
old
 
Meiosis for sex cells
Mitosis for body cells
1. Prophase
 Replication of chromosomes by
condensation and compaction by
sister chromatids at the
centromere
2. Metaphase
 Microtubules pull the sister
chromatids until they align at the
center plane aka equatorial plane;
VINCA AGENTS INHIBIT THE
MICROTUBULES
3. Anaphase
 Spindle fibers pull the sister
chromatids towards opposite
poles; ensures that each daughter
cell has an identical set of
chromosomes
4. Telophase
 Nuclear membrane forms around
set of chromosomes to separate
the two daughter cells
 Followed by cytokinesis or
division of the cytoplasm of the
parental plasm into to cells
 
D. NUX VOMICA
 Has strychnine
Strychnine
 Extremely toxic, antagonizes
glycine and ACH receptors as it
targets motor nerve fibers leading
to muscle contraction
Brucine
 An alcohol denaturant (e.g.,
methanol) which is used as fuel
additive, cleaning agent and
solvent in cleaners
E. PHYSOSTIGMA
 Known as the ordeal poison
which was used to judge criminals
Physostigmine
 Treats atropine toxicity along
with pralidoxime
 Used to treat glaucoma with
increased intraocular pressure
that compresses vision and
damages optic nerve
F. ERGOT
 Has parasitic (grows on living
organisms) and saprophytic (lives
on dead organisms)
 Claviceps purpurea is parasitic; C.
paspali is saprophytic
Ergonovine maleate
 Oxytocic to facilitate child birth by
stimulating uterus contraction
(opposite is tocolytic to control
labor such as Mg Sulfate)
Ergotamine tartrate
ALKALOIDS II
 To treat migraine which is
characterized by dilation of blood
vessels via arterial activation
leading to increased NT like 5-HT
or serotonin to cause
vasoconstriction in body
 Migraine in women is associated
with hormone levels
Caffeine
Structurally similar to adenosine
and can cause BBB to enhance
drug absorption
Methysergide maleate
 Treat migraine
LSD
 Controlled substance that is
hallucinogenic
 Aka backbreaker with strychnine;
or black acid with phencyclidine;
blue mist or blue acid when alone
 Can cause synesthesia or fused
senses
G. Morning Glories
 Were once used in incantations to
trigger magical effects
IMIDAZOLE ALKALOIDS
A. PILOCARPINE
 Used to treat glaucoma by
contraction of ciliary muscle
 Open angle glaucoma (has open
angle between iris and cornea) is
the most common form
 Hygroscopic absorbs moisture but
does not liquify e.g. silica gel
(opposite to deliquescent which
liquifies)
 
STEROIDAL ALKALOIDS
 Has CPPP nucleus
A. Hellebore (white and green)
 Black hellebore or Christmas rose
which has glycosides which is a
cardiac stimulant
 White and green hellebore are
both cardiac depressant and
hypotensive but are now
insecticides
 
ALKALOIDAL AMINES
 Have an amino group outside the
ring
A. EPHEDRINE
 Ingredient (85 mg) in Lianhua
Qingwen capsules as anti-COVID;
previously used in 2003 for SARS-
COV
 Has no approved therapeutic use
and is a controlled substance
B. COLCHICINE
 Used in acute gout; while
allopurinol is for chronic gout
 Has unknown mechanism of
action but Is beliaved to have an
inhibitory effect in the
inflammasome complex present
in neutrophils and monocytes
which can form interleukin-1
(mediator/causing inflammation)
C. KHAT
D. PEYOTE
 Has mescaline; can be a
hallucinogenic
 
PURINE/XANTINE ALKALOIDS
 Resemble the structures of purine
bases (adenine and guanine)
 Aka the pseudoalkaloids as they
are not derived from amino acids
Methylxanthines
 Increases CAMP which leads to
bronchodilation
A. KOLA
B. COFFEE BEAN
Caffeine
 Has dietetic effects or to induce
the loss of appetite
C. GUARANA
 Used in beverages and has similar
effects with caffeine
D. MATE
E. THEA aka GREEN TEA
 Source of theophylline
Theophylline
ALKALOIDS II
 Antiasthma drug by competitive
inhibition of type 3 and 4
phosphodiesterase (breaks down
CAMP) to increase CAMP and
lead to bronchodilation