Rhynchophylline is an

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

found in certain ''

Uncaria ''Uncaria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It has about 40 species.''Uncaria'' At: World Checklist of Rubiaceae At: Kew Gardens Website. (see ''External links'' below). Their distribution is pantropical, with most speci ...

'' species (Rubiaceae), notably '' Uncaria rhynchophylla'' and '' Uncaria tomentosa''. It also occurs in the leaves of ''

Mitragyna speciosa ''Mitragyna speciosa'' (commonly known as kratom, an herbal leaf from a tree of the Rubiaceae family, ) is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family native to Southeast Asia. It is indigenous to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and ...

'' (kratom), a tree native to Thailand. Chemically, it is related to the alkaloid mitragynine. Rhynchophylline is a non-competitive

NMDA antagonist NMDA receptor antagonists are a class of drugs that work to antagonize, or inhibit the action of, the ''N''-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor ( NMDAR). They are commonly used as anesthetics for animals and humans; the state of anesthesia they induce ...

(IC₅₀ = 43.2 μM) and a calcium channel blocker. ''

'' species have had a variety of uses in traditional herbal medicine, such as for lightheadedness, convulsions, numbness, and hypertension. These uses have been associated with the presence of rhynchophylline and have encouraged its investigation as a drug candidate for several cardiovascular and central nervous system diseases; however, few clinically relevant studies have been conducted.

References

{{Ionotropic glutamate receptor modulators Alkaloids Calcium channel blockers NMDA receptor antagonists Spiro compounds Methyl esters Ethers Lactams

See also

References