Alkaloids

Heterocyclic nitrogen compounds are called alkaloids. The first medically useful example of an alkaloid was morphine, isolated in 1805 from the opium poppy Papaver somniferum the name morphine comes from the Greek Morpheus, god of dreams. While alkaloids have been found to have microbiocidal effects the major antidiarrheal effect is probably due to their effects on transit time in the small intestine. Berberine is an important representative of the alkaloid group. It is potentially effective against trypanosomes and plasmodia. The mechanism of action of highly aromatic planar quaternary alkaloids such as berberine and harmane is attributed to their ability to intercalate with DNA