Pharmacologic Substance
alkaloid Audio
al·ka·loid [ al-kuh-loid ]
Subclass of:
Heterocyclic Compounds
Definitions related to alkaloids:
  • A family or group of nitrogen-containing base compounds primarily derived from plant and animal sources. Many alkaloids are used medicinally, including cancer therapy.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • A member of a large group of substances found in plants and in some fungi. Alkaloids contain nitrogen and can be made in the laboratory. Nicotine, caffeine, codeine, and vincristine are alkaloids. Some alkaloids, such as vincristine, are used to treat cancer.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Organic nitrogenous bases; many alkaloids of medical importance occur in the animal and vegetable kingdoms.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Organic nitrogenous bases. Many alkaloids of medical importance occur in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, and some have been synthesized. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.