Veratrum

VERATRUM

Synonyms

American Hellebore; Green Hellebore; American Veratrum; Indian poke.

Biological Source

Veratrum consists of dried roots and rhizomes of the peren-nial herbs, Veratrum viride Aiton and Veratrum album Linn., belonging to family Liliaceae.

Geographical Source

It is mainly found in Canada, United States, Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.

Cultivation and Collection

American drug is collected in the eastern parts of Canada and the United States and white hellebore in central and southern Europe. The rhizomes are dug in autumn season, cleaned, cut longitudinally and dried.

Characteristics

The entire rhizome is conical, 3–8 cm long and 2–3.5 cm wide; externally brownish-grey. The roots are numerous and almost completely cover the rhizome. Entire roots are up to 8 cm long and 4 mm diameter, light brown to light orange, and usually much wrinkled. Odourless, taste, bitter and acrid.

               Twig and root of Veratrum viride 

Chemical Constituents

Various steroidal alkaloids have been isolated from Veratrums. The important alkaloids are jervine, pseudojervine, rubijervine, cevadine, germitrine, germidine, veratralbine, veratroidine, neogermitrine, neoprotoveratrine, protoveratrine A and B and veratridine. Pseudojervine and veratrosine are glycosides of alkamine. Germine, jervine, rubijervine and veratramine are alkamines.

Uses

Veratrum is used as antihypertensive, cardiac depressant, sedative and insecticides. It is also used for relief in irritation of the nervous system, in convulsions, mania, neuralgia, headache, febrile and inflammatory affections of the respiratory organs and acute tonsillitis. The rhizomes are also used for insecticidal purposes in the form of sprays and in dusts. The alkaloids, especially proveratrines A and B, are effective in reducing blood pressure.

American veratrum is used for the preparation of Veriloid, a mixture of the hypotensive alkaloids. European veratrum is used for the preparation of the protoveratrines. The drugs are used as insecticides.