Medicinal history of North AmericanVeratrum.
Plants belonging to the genusVeratrumhave been used throughout history for their medicinal properties. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, phytochemical investigations revealed a host of steroidal alkaloids inVeratrumspecies, some of which are potent bioactives. This review discussesVeratrumspecies that grow in North America with a focus on the medicinal history of these plants and the steroidal alkaloids they contain. While significant reviews have been devoted to singularly describing the plant species within the genusVeratrum(botany), the staggering breadth of alkaloids isolated from these and related plants (phytochemistry), and the intricacies of how the various alkaloids act on their biological targets (physiology and biochemistry), this review will straddle the margins of the aforementioned disciplines in an attempt to provide a unified, coherent picture of theVeratrumplants of North America and the medicinal uses of their bioactive steroidal alkaloids.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boise State, University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725-1520, USA.
Christopher M
CM
Chandler
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boise State, University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725-1520, USA.
Owen M
OM
McDougal
Bezold–Jarisch reflex; Cancer; Hedgehog signaling pathway; Hypertension; Steroidal alkaloids