Strychnine (Strychnan Indole Alkaloid · Glycine Antagonist · Nux Vomica · Toxicological Reference)
| Compound | Strychnine |
| Chemical class | Alkaloid — Indole / Strychnan (Strychnos alkaloid; tetracyclic cage structure) |
| CAS | 57-24-9 |
| Primary source | Strychnos nux-vomica (Nux Vomica / Vishamushti, dried seeds) |
| Key applications | Glycine antagonist; historical CNS stimulant; rodenticide; toxicological reference; traditional Ayurvedic/Unani (detoxified) |
| Claim strength | Moderate (traditional detoxified use); Toxicological reference |
| Typical form | Nux Vomica seed extract (Ayurveda: Vishamushti shodhita — detoxified); Nux Vomica oil soluble extract available from Herbuno |
| Buy from Herbuno | Nux Mica Seed Oil Soluble Extract - Strychnos nux-vomica → |
Name origin: Strychnine derives from Strychnos (the genus), isolated by Pierre-Joseph Pelletier and Joseph-Bienaimé Caventou in 1818 — the same team who isolated quinine in 1820. Its complete structural elucidation by Robert Robinson (1946) and total synthesis by Robert Woodward (1954) are considered among the greatest achievements in 20th-century organic chemistry. The Woodward strychnine synthesis — 29 steps from acetaldehyde — established the era of complex natural product total synthesis. Pharmacology — glycine antagonism: Strychnine is a potent competitive antagonist at glycine receptors (GlyR), specifically the strychnine-sensitive α-subunit of inhibitory glycine receptors in the spinal cord and brainstem. By blocking glycine’s inhibitory action on motor neurons, strychnine produces hyperreflexia and generalised muscle spasms — progressing to opisthotonus (arched-back convulsions) and ultimately respiratory failure from diaphragm spasm. The lethal dose in humans is approximately 30–120 mg. Traditional Ayurvedic use: Nux Vomica seeds (Vishamushti in Sanskrit) have been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries as a CNS stimulant and digestive bitter — but only after a mandatory detoxification process (shodhana) designed to reduce strychnine content. Classical Ayurvedic shodhana for Nux Vomica involves soaking seeds in cow’s milk or specific herbal decoctions for days, reducing alkaloid content by 60–90%. Traditional practitioners have recognised the toxicity threshold for millennia and developed empirical protocols to stay within safety limits. Regulatory status: Strychnine is a restricted pesticide in the US (rodenticide use being phased out). Not approved as a supplement or pharmaceutical ingredient in regulated markets. Traditional Ayurvedic use of shodhita (detoxified) Nux Vomica continues in India under Ayurvedic regulatory frameworks. Nux Vomica oil soluble extract from Herbuno is appropriate for formulation contexts with appropriate regulatory framing in target markets.
Strychnine — Pharmacological and Traditional Context
Glycine receptor antagonism — pharmacological model: Strychnine’s high affinity and selectivity for GlyR has made it an invaluable pharmacological tool. It has been used in neuroscience research for over a century to selectively block inhibitory glycinergic transmission, enabling study of motor circuit function, pain modulation, and respiratory neuron activity. Strychnine-sensitive GlyRs are now understood to be critical regulators of spinal cord motor reflex circuits — their dysfunction (mutations) causes hyperekplexia (startle disease). Pharmacological research reference.
Historical therapeutic use — CNS stimulant: Strychnine was used as a medicinal tonic from the 16th century through the early 20th century — included in aperitif wines, tonic preparations, and patent medicines. Athletes (including some early Olympians) used strychnine as a performance stimulant. Thomas Hicks won the 1904 Olympic marathon with strychnine + brandy administered mid-race (then legal, now clearly doping). The replacement of strychnine tonics by safer stimulants (caffeine, amphetamine) and growing toxicity awareness eliminated most therapeutic applications by the mid-20th century. Historical reference.
Ayurvedic detoxified Nux Vomica — Vishamushti shodhita: Classical Ayurvedic texts (Charaka Samhita, Ashtanga Hridayam) describe specific detoxification protocols (shodhana) for toxic botanicals including Nux Vomica. Post-shodhana Nux Vomica extract contains dramatically reduced strychnine/brucine levels and is used in Ayurvedic formulations for digestive disorders, neurological weakness, and as a bitter tonic at doses calculated to remain below toxic thresholds. The Herbuno Nux Vomica oil soluble extract is appropriate for formulations following traditional specifications; alkaloid content should be verified by HPLC CoA. Traditional pharmacology reference.
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Dosage & Formulator Specification
Critical safety note: Strychnine has a very narrow therapeutic/toxic margin. The Ayurvedic traditional dose for shodhita Nux Vomica is 15–60 mg of detoxified seed powder (delivering <1–2 mg strychnine equivalents). For any formulation using Nux Vomica extract, the strychnine content per serving must be quantified by HPLC and must remain well below established toxicological thresholds. Request full alkaloid profile (strychnine + brucine content) on CoA from Herbuno. Standard pharmaceutical toxicological reference dose: 5 mg strychnine is associated with symptoms; 30 mg may be lethal. Any formulation targeting significantly sub-therapeutic concentrations must include appropriate product safety advisory.
For Herbuno Nux Vomica oil soluble extract: intended for topical liniment and external pain relief formulations in traditional Ayurvedic contexts (where transdermal alkaloid absorption is limited). For internal use in Ayurvedic preparations, the extract requires detoxification documentation and dosing precision. Regulatory requirements for Nux Vomica-containing products vary significantly by market — consult regulatory guidance for target market before formulation.
Frequently Asked Questions — Strychnine
Why is strychnine still used in Ayurvedic medicine despite being a poison?
Ayurvedic medicine has always operated on the principle of visha (poison) transformed through shodhana (purification) into medicine — analogous to the Western concept that dose makes the poison (Paracelsus). The traditional knowledge system recognised Nux Vomica’s toxicity and developed empirical protocols to reduce alkaloid burden to sub-toxic levels while retaining presumed therapeutic properties. This is conceptually similar to how digitalis (highly toxic cardiac glycoside) is used at carefully controlled doses as a pharmaceutical drug. The critical difference is that modern pharmaceutical use is dose-calibrated by plasma level monitoring, while traditional Ayurvedic use relies on empirical dose ranges that require experienced practitioners.
What is opisthotonus and why does strychnine cause it?
Opisthotonus is a severe hyperextension of the head, neck, and spine caused by sustained spasm of the back extensor muscles — producing a characteristic arched-back posture. Strychnine blocks the glycinergic inhibitory interneurons that normally moderate the relative strength of flexor vs extensor motor neuron activation. Without glycinergic inhibition, any sensory stimulus triggers simultaneous maximal activation of all muscle groups, with the stronger back extensor muscles (predominant in the trunk) producing opisthotonus. The conscious patient experiences extreme pain during the spasms and remains aware — a particularly horrific feature of strychnine poisoning.
How does strychnine differ from brucine pharmacologically?
Brucine (the 2,3-dimethoxy analogue of strychnine) has the same basic glycine antagonist mechanism but is approximately 10–30 times less potent than strychnine. Brucine also has relatively more pronounced alpha-adrenergic blocking activity and less pure GlyR antagonism than strychnine. Both co-occur in Nux Vomica seeds (strychnine predominates at approximately 1.5–3%; brucine at 0.5–1%). In traditional Ayurvedic pharmacology, brucine is considered to contribute to some of the antispasmodic effects of detoxified Nux Vomica preparations.
Is strychnine still used as a rodenticide?
Strychnine has been a primary rodenticide since the 16th century. In the US, EPA has progressively restricted strychnine use — it is now approved only for below-ground pocket gopher control (grain bait placed in burrows) in specific states, not for above-ground use. It has been banned for rodenticide use in the EU, Australia, and many other markets due to secondary poisoning risk (raptors and other predators consuming strychnine-poisoned rodents) and the availability of safer, more selective rodenticides (anticoagulants, bromadiolone).
Related compounds: Brucine, Coniine, Colchicine, Aconitine
Claim-strength scale – High = multiple human RCTs; Moderate = limited trials or strong preclinical convergence; Emerging = early-stage lab or animal data.
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