Brucine

Abstract

Brucine is extracted from the dry and mature seeds of Loganiaceae Evergreen tree plants including Strychnos nux-vomica L. and Strychnos pierriana A.W. Hill. Brucine has many pharmacological effects, including analgesic, antitumor, anti-pathogen, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects and regulation of the immune system. In clinical practice, brucine is used as compatibility prescription or compound medicine in treating rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke hemiplegia, dementia, retinopathy, and orthopedic and other surgical diseases. However, the toxicity of brucine limits its wide usage in the clinic. Therefore, studies of brucine on increasing its efficiency and decreasing its toxicity will improve the safety of its clinical use.