Corynanthine, also known as rauhimbine, is an

alkaloid Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...

found in the ''

Rauvolfia ''Rauvolfia'' (sometimes spelled ''Rauwolfia'') is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs, commonly known as devil peppers, in the family Apocynaceae. The genus is named to honor Leonhard Rauwolf. The genus can mainly be found in Tropics, trop ...

'' and '' Corynanthe'' (including ''Pausinystalia'') genera of plants. It is one of the two

diastereoisomer In stereochemistry, diastereomers (sometimes called diastereoisomers) are a type of stereoisomer. Diastereomers are defined as non-mirror image, non-identical stereoisomers. Hence, they occur when two or more stereoisomers of a compound have dif ...

s of

yohimbine Yohimbine, also known as quebrachine, is an indole alkaloid derived from the bark of the African tree '' Pausinystalia johimbe'' (yohimbe); also from the bark of the unrelated South American tree '' Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco''. Yohimbine is ...

, the other being

rauwolscine Rauwolscine, also known as isoyohimbine, α-yohimbine, and corynanthidine, is an alkaloid found in various species within the genera ''Rauvolfia'' and '' Corynanthe'' (including ''Pausinystalia''). It is a stereoisomer of yohimbine. Rauwolscine ...

. It is also related to

ajmalicine Ajmalicine, also known as δ-yohimbine or raubasine, is an antihypertensive drug used in the treatment of high blood pressure. It has been marketed under numerous brand names including Card-Lamuran, Circolene, Cristanyl, Duxil, Duxor, Hydroxysar ...

. Corynanthine acts as an α₁-adrenergic and α₂-adrenergic receptor

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.selectivity Selectivity may refer to: Psychology and behaviour * Choice, making a selection among options * Discrimination, the ability to recognize differences * Socioemotional selectivity theory, in social psychology Engineering * Selectivity (radio), a ...

for the former site over the latter. This is in contrast to yohimbine and rauwolscine which have around 30-fold higher affinity for the α₂-adrenergic receptor over the α₁-adrenergic receptor. As a result, corynanthine is not a

stimulant Stimulants (also known as central nervous system stimulants, or psychostimulants, or colloquially as uppers) are a class of drugs that increase alertness. They are used for various purposes, such as enhancing attention, motivation, cognition, ...

(or an

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...

for that matter), but a

depressant Depressants, also known as central nervous system depressants, or colloquially known as "downers", are drugs that lower neurotransmission levels, decrease the electrical activity of brain cells, or reduce arousal or stimulation in various ...

, and likely plays a role in the

antihypertensive Antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). Antihypertensive therapy seeks to prevent the complications of high blood pressure, such as stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and myocardial infa ...

properties of ''Rauvolfia'' extracts. Like yohimbine and rauwolscine, corynanthine has also been shown to possess some activity at

serotonin receptor 5-HT receptors, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors, or serotonin receptors, are a group of G protein-coupled receptor and ligand-gated ion channels found in multiple tissues including the central and peripheral nervous systems. They mediate both ex ...

References

{{Tryptamines Alkaloids found in Rauvolfia Alpha-1 blockers Alpha-2 blockers Antihypertensive agents Tryptamine alkaloids Indoloquinolizines Quinolizidine alkaloids Methyl esters Heterocyclic compounds with 5 rings

See also

References