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The Biochemistry of Alkaloids

  • Book
  • © 1981

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Authors:
  1. Trevor Robinson

    1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-viii
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  2. Introduction

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 1-11

  3. General Theories of Alkaloid Biosynthesis

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 12-19

  4. Simple Amino Acid Derivatives and Protoalkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 20-34

  5. Pyrrolidine, Piperidine, and Pyridine Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 35-57

  6. Tropane Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 58-66

  7. Lupine Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 67-75

  8. Isoquinoline Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 76-90

  9. Aporphine and Morphinan Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 91-104

  10. Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids and Colchicine

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 105-112

  11. Indole Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 113-136

  12. Quinolines and Other Alkaloids Related to Anthranilic Acid

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 137-143

  13. Some Miscellaneous Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 144-153

  14. Terpenoid and Steroid Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 154-165

  15. Metabolism of Exogenous Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 166-181

  16. Biochemical Effects of Alkaloids

    • Trevor Robinson
    Pages 182-210

  17. Back Matter

    Pages 211-228
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Keywords

About this book

The alkaloids were of great importance to mankind for centuries, long before they were recognized . as a chemical class. The influence they have had on literature is hinted at by some of the quotations I have used as chapter headings. Their influence on folklore and on medicine has been even greater. The scientific study of alkaloids may be said to have begun with the isolation of morphine by Sertiirner in 1804. Since that time they have remained of great interest to chemists, and now in any month there appear dozens of publications dealing with the isolation of new alkaloids or the determination of the structures of previously known ones. The area of alkaloid biochemistry, in comparison, has received little attention and today is much less developed. There is a certain amount of personal arbitrariness in defining "bio­ chemistry", as there is in defining "alkaloid", and this arbitrariness is doubtless compounded by the combination. Nevertheless, it seems to me that in any consideration of the biochemistry of a group of compounds three aspects are always worthy of attention-pathways of biosynthesis, function or activity, and pathways of degradation. For the alkaloids, treatment of these three aspects is necessarily lopsided. Much has been learned about routes of biosynthesis, but information on the other aspects is very scanty. It would be possible to enter into some speculation regarding the biosynthesis of all the more than 4,000 known alkaloids.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Biochemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA

    Trevor Robinson

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