The lupins, especially Lupinus angustifolius, are an important source of high protein food, which also benefit the soil by nitrogen fixation during growth. Angustifoline, a minor alkaloid of L. angustifolius, has been isolated by derivitization as the trichloroacetate followed by base hydrolysis. Other derivatives, such as the acetate, could not be satisfactorily hydrolyzed to the base alkaloid without extensive decomposition. A second method of isolation was developed using solvent extraction from pH-controlled solutions, from pH 7 to 13, yielding relatively pure crystalline angustifoline. This pH-controlled procedure has been successfully applied to the isolation of epilupinine and multiflorine from the mixed alkaloids of Lupinus atlanticus.