Page 29 - phytochemistry II -pharmD general

Source: Peyote or Mescal Buttons

Action and uses
Hallucinogenic with many complex effect on the CNS.

Tests for identification

➢ Mescaline gives with Marquis' reagent an orange color.
➢ Mescaline gives with ammonium molybdate a green color that turns to blue.

Quantitative determination

Mescaline is determined by colorimetric methods that are based on the colors
produced by reaction with p-nitrophenyldiazonium

chloride, picric acid and bromocresol purple

4- Capsicum alkaloids

Capsaicine

Capsaicine is the strongly pungent principal isolated from the fruits of Capsicum

species. (Fam. Solanaceae). MeO O Me
- It is a phenolic amide alkaloid HO N Me
H
Capsicin

- Capsaicin is a neutral alkaloid (does not possess basic characters), due to
the presence of nitrogen in an amide group.Therefore,it can be extracted with
organic solvents from acid medium.

• Capsaicin imparts a pungent taste to water The pungency is destroyed by
oxidation (KMnO4).

Uses

Capsicum is used externally as a counter-irritant in the form of ointment and
plaste for the relief of rheumatism, lumbago

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