β-Carboline (9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole), also known as norharmane, is a nitrogen containing heterocycle. It is also the prototype of a class of indole alkaloid compounds known as β-carbolines.
Ergoline is a chemical compound whose structural skeleton is contained in a variety of alkaloids, referred to as ergoline derivatives or ergoline alkaloids. Ergoline alkaloids, one being ergine, were initially characterized in ergot. Some of these are implicated in the condition ergotism, which can take a convulsive form or a gangrenous form. Even so, many ergoline alkaloids have been found to be clinically useful. Annual world production of ergot alkaloids has been estimated at 5,000–8,000 kg of all ergopeptines and 10,000–15,000 kg of lysergic acid, used primarily in the manufacture of semi-synthetic derivatives.
Harmine is a beta-carboline and a harmala alkaloid. It occurs in a number of different plants, most notably the Syrian rue and Banisteriopsis caapi. Harmine reversibly inhibits monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), an enzyme which breaks down monoamines, making it a RIMA. Harmine does not inhibit MAO-B. Harmine is also known as banisterine, telepathine, leucoharmine and yageine.
Noscapine is a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, of the phthalideisoquinoline structural subgroup, which has been isolated from numerous species of the family Papaveraceae. It lacks significant hypnotic, euphoric, or analgesic effects affording it with very low addictive potential. This agent is primarily used for its antitussive (cough-suppressing) effects.
Iridoids are a type of monoterpenoids in the general form of cyclopentanopyran, found in a wide variety of plants and some animals. They are biosynthetically derived from 8-oxogeranial. Iridoids are typically found in plants as glycosides, most often bound to glucose.
Strictosidine synthase (EC 4.3.3.2) a key enzyme in alkaloid biosynthesis. It catalyses the condensation of tryptamine with secologanin to form strictosidine in a formal Pictet–Spengler reaction:
(S)-Canadine, also known as (S)-tetrahydroberberine and xanthopuccine, is a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA), of the protoberberine structural subgroup, and is present in many plants from the family Papaveraceae, such as Corydalis yanhusuo and C. turtschaninovii.
Ergocryptine is an ergopeptine and one of the ergot alkaloids. It is isolated from ergot or fermentation broth and it serves as starting material for the production of bromocriptine.
A loline alkaloid is a member of the 1-aminopyrrolizidines, which are bioactive natural products with several distinct biological and chemical features. The lolines are insecticidal and insect-deterrent compounds that are produced in grasses infected by endophytic fungal symbionts of the genus Epichloë. Lolines increase resistance of endophyte-infected grasses to insect herbivores, and may also protect the infected plants from environmental stresses such as drought and spatial competition. They are alkaloids, organic compounds containing basic nitrogen atoms. The basic chemical structure of the lolines comprises a saturated pyrrolizidine ring, a primary amine at the C-1 carbon, and an internal ether bridge—a hallmark feature of the lolines, which is uncommon in organic compounds—joining two distant ring carbons. Different substituents at the C-1 amine, such as methyl, formyl, and acetyl groups, yield loline species that have variable bioactivity against insects. Besides endophyte–grass symbiota, loline alkaloids have also been identified in some other plant species; namely, Adenocarpus species and Argyreia mollis.
Lyngbyatoxin-a is a cyanotoxin produced by certain cyanobacteria species, most notably Moorea producens. It is produced as defense mechanism to ward off any would-be predators of the bacterium, being a potent blister agent as well as carcinogen. Low concentrations cause a common skin condition known as seaweed dermatitis.
Littorine is a tropane alkaloid found in a variety of plants including Datura and Atropa belladonna. It is closely related in chemical structure to atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine, which all share a common biosynthetic pathway.
Fumigaclavine B O-acetyltransferase is an enzyme with systematic name acetyl-CoA:fumigaclavine B O-acetyltransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Fumigaclavine A dimethylallyltransferase is an enzyme with systematic name dimethylallyl-diphosphate:fumigaclavine A dimethylallyltransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Fumigaclavine A is an antibacterial ergoline alkaloid produced by endophytic Aspergillus.
Fumigaclavine B is an ergoline compound made by certain fungi.
Akuammicine is a monoterpene indole alkaloid of the Vinca sub-group. It is found in the Apocynaceae family of plants including Picralima nitida, Vinca minor and the Aspidosperma.
Gigactonine is a naturally occurring diterpene alkaloid first isolated from Aconitum gigas. It occurs widely in the Ranunculaceae plant family. The polycyclic ring system of this chemical compound contains nineteen carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom, which is the same as in aconitine and this is reflected in its preferred IUPAC name.
Tambjamines are a group of natural products that are structurally related to prodiginines and are characterized by a 4-methoxy-2,2'-bipyrrolenamine structure. Tambjamines are composed of two pyrrole rings with an enamine moiety at C-5 and a methoxy group at C-4, and the majority have short alkyl chains substituted for the enamine nitrogen. This group of alkaloids have been isolated from marine invertebrates and bacteria.
Strictosidine is formed by the Pictet–Spengler reaction condensation of tryptamine with secologanin by the enzyme strictosidine synthase. Thousands of strictosidine derivatives are sometimes referred to by the broad phrase of monoterpene indole alkaloids. Strictosidine is the base molecule for numerous pharmaceutically valuable metabolites including quinine, camptothecin, ajmalicine, serpentine, vinblastine and vincristine.
(S)-corytuberine synthase is a cytochrome P450 enzyme purified from the plant Coptis japonica, with EC number EC 1.14.19.51 and CYP Symbol CYP80G2, and catalyses an intramolecular C-C phenol coupling of (S)-reticuline in magnoflorine biosynthesis.
