Pyridine alkaloid

Pyridine alkaloids are a chemical class of plant-derived organic compounds built from a pyridine ring joined to a saturated nitrogen-containing ring, most often a pyrrolidine bonded at the pyridine 3-position. Members differ in the size of that saturated ring and in the group carried by its nitrogen, a methyl group in nicotine and hydrogen in nornicotine. The family acts as agonists at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, producing the stimulant and strongly reinforcing effects associated with tobacco. A pyridine ring linked to a saturated azacycle is the defining structural feature of the class.