Question

8. (12 pts) Put True (T) or False (F) -All alkaloids are opiate or tropane alkaloids. Color spot tests are confirmatory tests for drugs. The Duquenois-Levine test is suitable for alkaloids. Drugs that have high potential for abuse may be schedule I or schedule II. Both schedule III and schedule IV drugs have accepted medical uses. All alkaloids are narcotics or depressants All acidic drugs must contain a carboxylic acid group Neutral drugs cannot contain any amine or any carboxylic acid group. The FeCl test is useful only for acidic drugs.

Answer 1

1) Alkaloids are naturaly occuring compounds which mainly consists of nitrogen(in negative oxidation state) and carbon atoms These compounds mostly have cyclic ring structure and are usually optically active. These compounds can be basic or neutral. These compounds have effect on human brain which can be narcotic,pharmecuitical, stimulant or poisonous.

Alkaloids can be classified on various grounds:

• On the basis of chemical nature

1. Phenylalkaylamine
2. Pyrrolidine alkaloids e.g., Hygrine
3. Piperidine alkaloids e.g., Lobeline
4. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids e.g., Senecionine
5. Tropane alkaloids e.g., Atropine
6. Quinoline alkaloids e.g., Quinine
7. Aporphine alkaloids e.g., Boldine
8. Indole alkaloids e.g., Ergometrine
9. Steroidal alkaloids e.g., Solanidine
10. Purine alkaloids e.g., Caffeine
11. Isoquinoline alkaloids e.g., Morphine
12. Diazocin alkaloids e.g., Lupanine
13. Imidazole alkaloids e.g., Pilocarpine
14. Amino alkaloids e.g., Ephedrine
15. Diterpene alkaloids e.g., Aconitine

• On pharmacological action:

1. adrenergics
2. antibiotics
3. poisons
4. stimulants
5. diuretics
6. astringents
7. anti-inflammatory
8. anti-hypertensives
9. anti-mydriatics
10. analgesics
11. anti-gout
12. expectorant
13. emetic
14. anti-spasmodic

Thus first statement is false.

2) color spot test is one of the Presumptive tests. In this method we take a portion of an unknown powder/residue/crushed tablet and then combine it with a chemical reagent which may produce a color change indicating that a substance, drug or poison etc may be present. It cannot confirm the presence of drug. It is a rapid and easier method to carry out. Thus the statement is false.

3) Duquenois- levin test is also a presumptive test which indiactes the propability of presence of some alkaloids by change in colour. Thogh not being a confirmatory test; this ,methods may yeid initial presumptive results.

4) Drugs are the chemical compounds that affect the central nervous system and the function of brain and body

Drugs are basically classified into 5 schedule:

• Schedule I -  Schedule I drugs are those drugs which are not currently accepted for medical use and have a very high potential for abuse.
• Schedule II - Schedule II drugs have a high potential for abuse which may cause severe psychological or physical dependence. These drugs are not in use for medical purposes.
• Schedule III - Schedule III drugs are less potent for abuse than Schedule I and Schedule II. These drugs are accepted for medical purposes.
• Schedule IV - Schedule IV drugs are less potent for abse than Schedule III drugs. These drugs are accepted for medical purposes.
• Schedule V - Schedule V drugs have a low abuse potentia and are accepted for medical use and have a very limited addiction potential.

?Thus statement 4 is true.

5) from above discussion statement 5 is also true.

6) Naturally all alkaloids are narcotics or depressants, but efforts are being made to synthesise non- narcotic alkaloids.