Alkaloids are a class of naturally-occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom.
They are primarily found in plants, but can also be found in certain types of fungi and bacteria. In plants they appear to
play a variety of roles, including deterring herbivores and inhibiting the growth of competing plants.
Structurally, alkaloids are quite diverse. They typically have complex, ring-shaped structures, but can vary greatly in
size and shape. The chemical behavior of alkaloids is largely determined by the structure of the molecule, which includes one or more nitrogen atoms.
Alkaloids are well known for their physiological effects on humans and other animals. Many alkaloids have
pharmacological effects and are used medicinally. For instance, they can act as stimulants, narcotics, or poisons.
Some alkaloids are also used recreationally because of their psychoactive effects.
Listed below are a few examples of alkaloids and their effects:
Morphine
- Found in opium poppies, morphine is a powerful pain reliever used in medicine.
Caffeine
- Found in coffee, tea, and cacao, caffeine is a stimulant that reduces fatigue and increases alertness.
Nicotine
- Found in tobacco, nicotine is a potent parasympathomimetic stimulant that contributes to the addictive quality of tobacco products.
Atropine
- Found in deadly nightshade, atropine is used in medicine to dilate the pupils during eye exams, among other uses.
It is also a powerful poison.
Quinine
- Found in the bark of the cinchona tree, quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria.
Cocaine
- Found in coca leaves, cocaine is a powerful stimulant that is often used recreationally for its psychoactive effects.
Examples of some common alkaloids found in bark are provided below:
Quinine
- This alkaloid, found in the bark of the cinchona tree, was the first effective treatment for malaria.
It is also used as a flavoring in tonic water.
Yohimbine - Found in the bark of the Yohimbe tree, native to Africa,
yohimbine is used for its stimulant and aphrodisiac effects.
Berberine - This alkaloid is found in the bark of the cork tree and the Oregon grape tree.
It has been studied for its potential benefits in regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Akuammicine - Found in the bark of the Picralima nitida tree
(also known as the Akuamma tree), akuammicine has analgesic properties.
Taxine - This is a group of alkaloids found in the bark (and other parts)
of yew trees. Taxine alkaloids are highly toxic and can cause serious cardiac effects.
Camptothecin - Found in the bark of the Camptotheca acuminata tree,
also known as the "happy tree", camptothecin has demonstrated anti-cancer properties and is used as a chemotherapeutic agent.
Examples of some common alkaloids found in roots are provided below:
Atropine
- Found in the roots of plants in the nightshade family, such as Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade).
It has various medical applications, including as a treatment for certain types of poisonings and to dilate the pupils during eye exams.
Reserpine - This alkaloid is found in the roots of Rauwolfia serpentina
and other Rauwolfia species. It has been used in traditional medicines and also has modern medical uses, such as in the
treatment of high blood pressure and some psychiatric disorders.
Berberine - Found in the roots of plants like goldenseal and barberry,
berberine has shown potential benefits for diabetes, cholesterol regulation, and other health conditions.
Morphine - This potent opiate is found in the latex sap of the opium poppy's
root system. It is used extensively in medicine for pain relief.
Strychnine - Found in the roots of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree,
strychnine is a potent poison that was formerly used as a pesticide.
Vincristine and Vinblastine - These alkaloids are found in the roots
of the Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus). They are used in chemotherapy due to their ability to inhibit cell division.
Examples of some alkaloids found in seeds are listed below:
Morphine and Codeine - These alkaloids are found in the seed pods
of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Both are potent analgesics and are used in medicine for pain relief.
Nicotine - This alkaloid is found in the seeds (as well as the leaves)
of the tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum and related species).
Strychnine - Found in the seeds of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree. It
is a potent neurotoxin and can be lethal in high doses.
Caffeine - Present in the seeds of several plants, including coffee
(Coffea spp.), cacao (Theobroma cacao), and tea (Camellia sinensis). Caffeine is a stimulant and is the most widely consumed psychoactive
substance in the world.
Quinine - The seeds and bark of the Cinchona tree contain quinine. It
has antimalarial properties and was historically the primary treatment for malaria.
The extraction process, including the solvents and methods used, can influence the concentration and types of alkaloids present in the final extract.
It is often the case that a balance needs to be found between fully-extracting all alkaloids while also ensuring that the compounds that are
obtained are of a high quality and not degraded.
At Celignis we have extensive experience in the design and optimisation of extraction protocols for a wide variety of chemical constituents from
many different biomass types. If needed we can also work on processes to separate and purify the target compounds.
Click here to read more about Celignis's Bioprocess Development Services for the extraction of
chemicals from biomass.
€1.6m Funding Success for Celignis in 2024 CBE-JU Calls
We have secured funding for involvement in 4 collaborative research projects
We are delighted to announce that Celignis has been successful in 4 project proposals submitted for funding to the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) programme.
These projects will provide funding of 1.6m EUR to Celignis over the next few years and build upon the 3 projects (worth 1.5m EUR) we secured last year and the 4 previous CBE/BBI projects that Celignis participated in.
Details on the projects are provided below:
WoodVALOR - This RIA project concerns the valorisation of contaminated/post-consumer wood waste (WW) via: (i) thermal conversion to biochar; and (ii) fractionation followed by conversions to paints & coatings ingredients. Celignis is involved in the chemo-enzymatic fractionation of decontaminated wood (DW) to sequentially extract/purify lignin and hemicellulose, and in developing hemicellulose-based emulsifiers/stabilizers and binder monomers for industrial formulations. Additionally, Celignis is involved in metals/mineral recovery from decontamination wastewater using
New Publication from a Celignis Bioprocess Development Project
The article, available in "Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery" is entitled "Process development for efficient pectin extraction from tobacco residues and its characterisation"
We are please to announce the publication of a peer-reviewed scientific article based on some of the research outputs of a Bioprocess Development Service (BDS) project undertaken by Celignis.
The article, entitled "Process development for efficient pectin extraction from tobacco residues and its characterisation" details the results of experiments targeting the optimised extraction of pectin from the laminae of a number of different varieties of tobacco plants. These tobacco-derived pectins were found to have a medium molecular weight and low methoxy content and our findings indicated that this feedstock could be suitable for the production of pectin with dietary applications.
Meeting takes place at the coordinator's (ITA) headquarters in Zaragoza, SPAIN
Celignis personnel are today attending the kick-off meeting of the CBE-JU project MANUREFINERY at the facilities of the project's coordinator (ITA) in Zaragoza, Spain.
MANUREFINERY concerns the development of a small, decentralised, modular biorefinery concept for farms that converts manure and ammonia emissions into seven marketable bio-ingredients (animal-feed proteins, caproic acid, and fertiliser salts/ashes). The solution integrates fixed/mobile units across three valorisation lines (gas, liquid, solid) and a digital twin for optimisation and scale-up, targeting TRL6-7 validation on four EU demo farms.
Celignis has a number of key roles in the project, including:
- Comprehensive analysis of the feedstocks and products of the process.
Meeting takes place at the coordinator's (AIMPLAS) headquarters in Valencia, Spain
PROMOFER, is an Innovation Action project funded by the CBE-JU, under topic HORIZON-JU-CBE-2023-IA-03 (Improve Fermentation Processes (Including Downstream Purification) To Final Bio-Based Products).
This project started in June 2024 with Celignis, an SME partner and full industry BIC member, playing a pivotal role in the project. Our core activities include undertaking the pre-treatment and hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass at scaled-up (TRL7, 1 m3) volumes. The resulting sugars are then provided to other partners for downstream fermentations.
Today Celignis's CIO Lalitha is attending the kick-off meeting of the project, at coordinator AIMPLAS's headquarters in Valencia, Spain.
We're attending the kick-off meeting for BIONEER in Trondheim, Norway (SINTEF)
Lalitha is attending the kick-off meeting of our CBE-JU project BIONEER, located at the coordinator's (SINTEF) premises in Trondheim, Norway.
BIONEER has the title "Scaled-up Production of Next-Generation Carbohydrate-Derived Building Blocks to Enhance the Competitiveness of a Sustainable European Chemicals Industry". It is a 4-year Innovation Action project with 7.5m EUR of funding provided by the CBE-JU.
Celignis plays a key role in BIONEER, being responsible for the scaled-up (TRL7) production of platform chemicals.
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