title: Hypotensive effect and toxicology of total alkaloids and veratramine from roots and rhizomes of Veratrum nigrum L. in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: Total alkaloids (VTA) and veratramine of Veratrum nigrum L. were tested for hypotensive effect using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Acute toxicities were also evaluated. There was a dose-dependent reduction in blood pressure and heart rate after a single ingestion (1.0 to 4.0 mg/kg, intragastric administration) of VTA. A single oral ingestion (0.56 to 2.24 mg/kg) of veratramine, the major component of VTA, dose-dependently decreased blood pressure and heart rate, suggesting that veratramine was involved in the hypotensive effect of VTA in SHR. The hypotensive effects of VTA and veratramine are directly positively correlated with the dosage. Side effects were not obvious.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Lishu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yonghong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D012015:Reference Standards; D014703:Veratrum / Q000737:chemistry*; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids; C009649:veratramine