Rauwolfia alkaloids

Indian snake root ( Rauwolfia serpentina ) blooming

Indian snake root ( Rauwolfia serpentina ) with fruits

Rauwolfia alkaloids is the collective name for mostly pentacyclic alkaloids , which are obtained from the dried roots of the Indian snake root ( Rauvolfia serpentina ). The latter is named after the German doctor and botanist Leonhard Rauwolf , who traveled to the Levant from 1573–1575. More than 60 different of these alkaloids are known.

Rauwolfia alkaloids as medicinal substances

As a drug , reserpine is the most important representative of this class of substances and is also one of the indole alkaloids . Other Rauwolfia alkaloids of therapeutic importance are:

• Ajmalicin (δ-yohimbin, Raubasin),
• Ajmalin ( Rauwolfin ),
• Corynanthin ,
• Deserpidine ( canescin ),
• Rescinnamine ,
• Reserpine ,
• Sarpagin ( Raupin ),
• Serpentine and
• Yohimbine .

• 

  Ajmaline

• 

  Deserpidine

• 

  Reserpine

• 

  Rescinnamine

• 

  Yohimbine

The Rauwolfia alkaloids have a peripheral vasodilator effect, stimulate the secretion of serotonin and have a sedative effect.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Otto-Albrecht Neumüller (Ed.): Römpps Chemie-Lexikon. Volume 5: Pl-S. 8th revised and expanded edition. Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1987, ISBN 3-440-04515-3 , p. 3501.
2. ↑ Rudolf Hänsel, Otto Sticher (Ed.): Pharmakognosie - Phytopharmazie . 9., revised. and updated edition. Springer, Heidelberg 2010, ISBN 978-3-642-00962-4 , pp. 1320 .
3. ^ Peter Nuhn: Naturstoffchemie , S. Hirzel Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft, Stuttgart, 2nd edition, 1990, p. 585, ISBN 3-7776-0473-9 .