D. Tech. Chemistry. / Aims to isolate and characterise mesembrine-type alkaloids from S. tortuosum for use as reference standards ; develop and validate analytical methods for the accurate determination of mesembrine-type alkaloids in S. tortuosum samples and commercial products for quality control purposes ; investigate inter-species variation of alkaloids in endemic Sceletium species ; establish the variation of mesembrine-type alkaloids within and between different populations of S. tortuosum specimens and hence identify various chemotypes ; determine the variations of the target alkaloids in S. tortuosum commercial products purchased from various suppliers ; determine the mesembrine-type alkaloid content of the combustion products from S. tortuosum; and to evaluate the in vitro permeation of the alkaloids across oral and intestinal mucosa.