NITROGENOUS ORGANIC COMPOUNDS OF PLANTS 233 



Sinapore, from seeds of mustard. 

 Viciue, from seeds of vetch. 

 Nicotin, from leaves of tobacco. 

 Quinin, from peruvian bark. 

 Strychnin, from strychnos bean. 

 Brucine, from strychnos bean. 

 Morphin, from opium (seeds of poppy). 

 L,upinin, from lupin seeds. 



322. Animal Alkaloids. In the animal body alka- 

 loids are produced by ferment action. During disease, 

 and when the proteids of the food fail to undergo the 

 natural chemical changes of digestion, alkaloids, or 

 ptomaines, are produced which are active poisons or toxic 

 bodies. When animal tissue undergoes decay, ptomaines 

 are produced as the result of ferment action. In stale 

 meat, fish, and cheese, there are a number of such bodies. 



323. Food Value and Production. The alkaloids 

 cannot be regarded as nutrients as they possess no direct 

 food value. Medicinally, many are valuable because of 

 their action upon certain nerve centers. Some alkaloids 

 lessen the value of foods because they prevent the nor- 

 mal process of digestion. A few alkaloids have been 

 produced in the laboratory by synthetic methods, and it 

 is believed that in a short time all of the more important 

 ones will be produced in this way. 



324. Mixed Nitrogenous Compounds. There are a 

 few nitrogenous organic compouuds present in foods 

 which do not belong to any of the four divisions : Proteids, 

 albuminoids, amides, and alkaloids. Such bodies are called 



