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Biodiversity and Chemotaxonomy pp 121–136Cite as

Chemotaxonomic Significance of Alkaloids in Plants

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Part of the book series: Sustainable Development and Biodiversity ((SDEB,volume 24))

Abstract

The classification of plants on the basis of their chemical constituents is a powerful weapon for plant taxonomists. The chemotaxonomic classification, when applied with proper care and phytochemical inputs, is more useful than morphological- and anatomical-based classifications. However, chemotaxonomy also suffers from some noticeable disadvantages like the presence of common compounds in many plants. These compounds have small taxonomic values. Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites present in plant kingdom. These alkaloids play significant role in chemotaxonomic classification of plants. The present chapter discusses the distribution of alkaloids in plants and their applications in plant taxonomy.

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Acknowledgements

The author Poonam is thankful to Delhi Technological University for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Chemistry, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, 110042, India

    Ram Singh &  Poonam

  2. Department of Chemistry, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India

    Geetanjali

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  1. Ram Singh
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  2. Poonam
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  3. Geetanjali
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Correspondence to Ram Singh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Department, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, India

    Kishan Gopal Ramawat

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Singh, R., Poonam, Geetanjali (2019). Chemotaxonomic Significance of Alkaloids in Plants. In: Ramawat, K. (eds) Biodiversity and Chemotaxonomy. Sustainable Development and Biodiversity, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30746-2_6

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