Alkaloids interactions with receptors

Ergot alkaloids Interaction with dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine receptors 370,371... 

Steroidal alkaloids, such as solanine and tomatine which are present in many members of the Solanaceae, can form complexes with the cholesterol and other lipids present in biomembranes. Important for this interaction is the presence of a lipophilic portion of the molecule (given by the steroidal moiety) and a hydrophilic portion (provided by the sugar side chain). Whereas the lipophilic moiety "dives" into the lipophilic interior of the membrane and interacts with the structurally similar cholesterol, the hydrophilic side chain remains outside and binds to external sugar receptors. Since phospholipids are in a continuous motion (spinning around their axis and horizontal movements), a tension easily builds up which leads to membrane disruption i.e. transient "holes" form in the biomembrane rendering the cell leaky. Since particular steroidal alkaloids can specifically interact with receptors, ion channels or transmitter... 

The poison dart frogs of Central and South America store toxic substances such as the acetylenic alkaloid histrionicotoxin within their bodies to deter attacks by other animals. Histrionicotoxin disrupts neuromuscular transmission in animals through its interaction with receptors for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. 

Lobeline (3), extracted from Lobelia inflate, interacts with the nicotinic receptor and could also be exploited to influence cholinergic function in AD. Other alkaloids such as sophoramine (4) and cytisine (5), found in members of the Leguminosae, also have nicotinic agonistic properties. ... 

Thus, the anticholinergic activity of the alkaloid hyoscyamine is almost entirely confined to the (—)-isomer, and the (+)-isomer is almost devoid of activity. The racemic ( )-form, atropine, has approximately half the activity of the laevorotatory enantiomer. An anticholinergic drug blocks the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and thus occupies the same binding site as acetylcholine. The major interaction with the receptor involves that part of the molecule that mimics acetylcholine, namely the appropriately positioned ester and amine groups. The chiral centre is adjacent to the ester, and also influences binding to the receptor. 

Nicotine affects the nervous system, interacting with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and the tight binding is partially accounted for by the structural similarity between acetylcholine and nicotine. Curare-like antagonists also block nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (see Box 6.7). There are other acetylcholine receptors, termed muscarinic, that are triggered by the alkaloid muscarine. The tropane alkaloid hyoscyamine (see Box 10.9) binds to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. 

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