Definition of alkaloid

The term "alkaloid" originally emerged in the mid-19th century, during a time when scientists were focused on studying natural compounds that had pharmacological properties. These compounds, which were found in plants, were named based on their basic (alkaline) properties, as they were derived from amino acid precursors and contained a nitrogen group. William Henry Perkin, a young British chemist, was one of the first to discover these unique compounds. Perkin was attempting to synthesize quinine, a medication that had been used to treat malaria, but instead accidentally produced a compound with vivid purple coloring. This compound, which he named "mauve," was found to be derived from coal tar and contained a nitrogen group, leading Perkin and others to hypothesize that similar compounds might be found in nature. In the late 1800s, German chemist Richard Wilhelmuela began studying strychnine, a poisonous, alkaloidal compound found in the seeds of the Strychnos plant. Wilhelmuela separated strychnine from its source plant and synthesized it in the laboratory. This discovery led to an explosion of research into the structure and properties of other alkaloidal compounds. By the early 1900s, "alkaloid" had become a widely used scientific term to describe a class of compounds that shared similar chemical and pharmacological properties. The term today is still used in chemistry and pharmacology to describe a group of biologically active, nitrogen-containing organic compounds found in various plants, including some commonly used drugs such as morphine and atropine.