Sinomenine

Abstract

Sinomenine is derived from Caulis Sinomenii, which is mainly used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other types of rheumatism and arrhythmia in clinical practice. Sinomenine has anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, analgesic sedation, antiarrhythmic, detoxification, and other pharmacological effects, while the half-life of sinomenine is short. In addition, sinomenine also causes a strong histamine release, which leads to rash, gastrointestinal reactions, and other side effects, limiting its wide range of clinical applications. At present, a variety of formulations improve its clinical efficacy and reduce adverse reactions to a certain extent. It may be more effective to modify the sinomenine to increase its stability from the viewpoint of pharmacochemistry. In addition, sinomenine has a chemical structure somewhat similar to that of morphine, but it is not addictive. Research on the relationship between drug addiction and the structure and activity of sinomenine may lead to the discovery of highly effective and low-toxicity natural drugs.