Alkaloid screening: Prior to a consideration of screening plant material for alkaloids .

itwould seem in order to define the term alkaloids as used in thisreview ;however the nature of the word . It self precludes any thingmore then a vague definition. Any one familiar with alkaloids surelyhas a knowledge of their character but seldom can one give asacceptable definition. Most authorities agree that chemical botanicaland pharmacologic implications most be reflected an oneacceptable definition. Hegnauers suggestion that;Alkaloids are more or less toxic substances which actprimarily on the central nervous system have a basic character contain heterocyclic nitrogen and are synthesized in plants fromamino acids or their immediate derivatives. In most eases they areof limited distribution in the plant kingdom.Seems as acceptable as any. For purposes of thisdiscussion we will utilize Hegnaures concept except. Of course, wecannot be concerned with the site of mechanism of synthesis , thuscompounds such as aliphatic nitrogenous bases amides and theamino acids themselves will not be considered as alkaloids,Estimates for the distribution of alkaloids in vascular plants have been placed as high as 1520%, although this figureappears some what high with respect to data derived from severalextensive phytochemical screening programs Will have screenedmore then 4000 species of plants and report a distribution of about10% alkaloids. Webb in his experience with some 1700 speciesindicates alkaloids occurrence to be about 14% whereas the smithkline & French survey found that about 10% of 25000 speciesscreened were positive for alkaloids . since a few of theseundoubtedly will be determined through future studies to be falsepositive alkaloid containing species, 9-10%seems to be the morelogical estimate representing alkaloids yielding plant species.Alkaloids are widely distributed in the plant kingdom althoughcertain groups have been shown to be characteristically devoid of them excellent essays on this subject have been published bywillaman and Schubert and by Webb. Screening for Heterosides (Glycosides) Heterosides arc organic compounds in which a hemiacetal linkageusually connects the anomeric carbon of a sugar (glycone) with analcohol or phenolic hydroxyl of a second nonsugar molecule(aglycone) this type of linkage rise to the so-called o-heterosides(e.g.,salicin) the most common type of Heterosides found in plantsIf the anomeric carbon of the glycone is attached to an aglyconethrough sulfur the S-heterosides are formcd (e.g.,sinigrin) A thirdgroup are the N-hcterosides which involve attachment of theglycone to an amino group of an aglycone (e.g.vicine,crotnoside)Finally, the C-heterosides involve a carbon of carbon linkage of glycone and aglycone (e.g.aloin)