Basic nitrogen compounds (mostly heterocyclic) occurring mostly in the plant kingdom
(but not excluding those of animal origin). Amino acids,
peptides,
proteins,
nucleotides,
nucleic acids,
amino sugars and antibiotics are not normally regarded as alkaloids. By extension, certain neutral
compounds biogenetically related to basic alkaloids are included.
Source:
PAC, 1995, 67, 1307
(Glossary of class names of organic compounds and reactivity intermediates based on
structure (IUPAC Recommendations 1995))
on page 1313