Chemicals and Drugs

Veratrum Alkaloids

Alkaloids with powerful hypotensive effects isolated from American or European Hellebore (Veratrum viride Ait. Liliaceae and Veratrum album L. Liliaceae). They increase cholinergic and decrease adrenergic tone with appropriate side effects and at higher doses depress respiration and produce cardiac arrhythmias; only the ester alkaloids have been used as hypotensive agents in specific instances. They have been generally replaced by drugs with fewer adverse effects.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Alkaloids with powerful hypotensive effects isolated from American or European Hellebore (Veratrum viride Ait. Liliaceae and Veratrum album L. Liliaceae). They increase cholinergic and decrease adrenergic tone with appropriate side effects and at higher doses depress respiration and produce cardiac arrhythmias; only the ester alkaloids have been used as hypotensive agents in specific instances. They have been generally replaced by drugs with fewer adverse effects.

MeSH Record

Classification

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Drug Class

Pharmacological Action

MeSH Record

Synonyms

1 entry terms
  • Alkaloids, Veratrum

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

24 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings administration & dosage, adverse effects, agonists, analysis, antagonists & inhibitors, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemical synthesis, chemistry, classification, economics, history, immunology, isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, poisoning, radiation effects, standards, supply & distribution, therapeutic use, toxicity, urine.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

antihypertensives

MeSH Record

History Note

75

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Veratrum (1966-1974)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

QV 151

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Veratrum Alkaloids. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D014704. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D014704
  2. Veratrum Alkaloids. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q75011817