Other Alkaloids

Most alkaloids have complex cyclic structures and important biological activities and are therefore one of the important active ingredients of many drugs. Alkaloids are classified into different types depending on their chemical structure, biological activity, and biosynthetic pathway. In addition to several common classes of alkaloids, such as isoquinoline, pyridine, phenylethylamine, pyrrole, piperidine, purine, indole, and quinoline alkaloids, Alfa Chemistry also offers other types of alkaloids.

Our product list includes, but is not limited to the following.

• Terpenoid alkaloids

Of the tens of thousands of alkaloids isolated so far, only a few thousand molecules extracted from a few natural product families belong to terpenoid alkaloids. These families include the smaller sesquiterpenoid alkaloids such as dendrobine and pumiliotoxins, monoterpenoid alkaloids derived from the Actinidiaceae, Bignoniaceae, Gentianaceae, and Loganiaceae families, diterpenoid alkaloids originating from the atisane and kaurane terpenoid families, and triterpenoid alkaloids, which manifest themselves as either steroid alkaloids or Daphniphyllum alkaloids. Although the number of terpene alkaloids is limited, they have a wide range of biological activities.

• Quinazolinone alkaloids

Quinazolinone is a building block for approximately 150 naturally occurring alkaloids isolated to date from a number of families of the plant kingdom, from animals and from microorganisms. Due to its important and wide range of biological activities, it has attracted high interest in the field of organic and medicinal chemistry. Briefly, quinazolines are divided into three main groups, namely 2-substituted, 3-substituted and 2,3-disubstituted quinazolinones.

Figure 1. The core structure of quinazolinone. (a) 2-substituted, (b) 3-substituted and (c) 2,3-disubstituted-quinazolinones.

• β-Carboline alkaloids

The β-carbolines constitute a group of natural and synthetic alkaloids comprising a tricyclic pyrido[3,4-b]indole ring structure at different levels of unsaturation (dihydro-, tetrahydro, and aromatic β-carbolines). They are widely distributed in nature, including various plants, foodstuffs, marine creatures, insects, mammalians as well as human tissues and body fluids. These alkaloids are significant in the field of medicine by virtue of their wide range of pharmacological properties, such as sedative, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, antitumor, antiviral, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial activities.

Figure 2. The β-carboline alkaloid skeleton.

• Acridone alkaloids

Acridone alkaloids are only found in some genera of the Rutaceae family, and about 100 of these substances are known, with a remarkable variety in structure. The most important representative of this small group of alkaloids is acronycine, isolated from the Australian shrub Sarcomelicope simplicifolia from the family Rutaceae. The alkaloid and its derivatives are used as antineoplastic agents against colon and lung carcinoma.

Figure 3. The structure of acronycine.

• Pyrrolizidine alkaloids

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are found in plants of widespread geographical distribution. PAs are esters of hydroxylated 1-methylpyrrolizidines, and primarily originate from L-ornithine or L-arginine. Structurally, they are characterized by two conjoined five-membered rings with a bridgehead nitrogen atom. Functionally, they contribute to the chemical defense of plants against herbivores, insects and phytopathogens to a certain extent.

Figure 4. General structure of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

As a supplier of alkaloids, Alfa Chemistry has always shown great interest in the latest developments of different types of alkaloids. Alfa Chemistry is committed to providing a wide range of alkaloids. If you do not find what you need, please contact us. We also offer product customization according to customer's detailed requirements.