Is an alkaloid an alkali?
It’s not technically an alkali; it’s a base. Alkalis are a specific type of base (defined as a basic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal). Their basicity means they will neutralise acids. Alkaloids obviously are not metal salts; they’re organic compounds. However, they do all contain a nitrogen atom which makes the compound basic. Because of this basicity, they will also react to neutralise acids (though they tend to be much weaker bases than alkalis). So in a nutshell, an alkaloid is not an alkali, but it is basic and will therefore react with acid in the same way.
