Ajmalicine, also known as δ-yohimbine or raubasine, is an antihypertensive

Antihypertensive

The antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension . Evidence suggests that reduction of the blood pressure by 5 mmHg can decrease the risk of stroke by 34%, of ischaemic heart disease by 21%, and reduce the likelihood of dementia, heart failure, and mortality from...

 drug

Drug

A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...

 used in the treatment of high blood pressure

Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...

. It has been marketed under numerous brand names including Card-Lamuran, Circolene, Cristanyl, Duxil, Duxor, Hydroxysarpon, Iskedyl, Isosarpan, Isquebral, Lamuran, Melanex, Saltucin Co, Salvalion, and Sarpan. It is also an alkaloid

Alkaloid

Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...

 found naturally

Natural product

A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism - found in nature that usually has a pharmacological or biological activity for use in pharmaceutical drug discovery and drug design...

 in various plants such as Rauwolfia spp., Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus is a species of Catharanthus native and endemic to Madagascar. Synonyms include Vinca rosea , Ammocallis rosea, and Lochnera rosea; other English names occasionally used include Cape Periwinkle, Rose Periwinkle, Rosy Periwinkle, and "Old-maid".In the wild, it is an endangered...

, and Mitragyna speciosa.

Ajmalicine is structurally

Chemical structure

A chemical structure includes molecular geometry, electronic structure and crystal structure of molecules. Molecular geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and the chemical bonds that hold the atoms together. Molecular geometry can range from the very simple, such as...

 related to yohimbine

Yohimbine

Yohimbine is an alkaloid with stimulant and aphrodisiac effects found naturally in Pausinystalia yohimbe . It is also found naturally in Rauwolfia serpentina , Alchornea floribunda , along with several other active alkaloids...

, rauwolscine

Rauwolscine

Rauwolscine, also known as isoyohimbine, α-yohimbine, and corynanthidine, is an alkaloid found in various species within the genera Rauwolfia and Pausinystalia . It is a stereoisomer of yohimbine...

, and other yohimban

Yohimban

Yohimban is a chemical compound. It is the base chemical structure of various alkaloids in the Rauwolfia and Pausinystalia plant genuses, including yohimbine, rauwolscine, corynanthine, ajmalicine, reserpine, deserpidine, and rescinnamine, among others....

 derivatives. Like corynanthine

Corynanthine

Corynanthine, also known as rauhimbine, is an alkaloid found in the Rauwolfia and Pausinystalia genera of plants. It is one of the two diastereoisomers of yohimbine, the other being rauwolscine...

, it acts as a α₁-adrenergic receptor

Alpha-1 adrenergic receptor

The alpha-1 adrenergic receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor associated with the Gq heterotrimeric G-protein. It consists of three highly homologous subtypes, including α1A-, α1B-, and α1D-adrenergic...

 antagonist

Receptor antagonist

A receptor antagonist is a type of receptor ligand or drug that does not provoke a biological response itself upon binding to a receptor, but blocks or dampens agonist-mediated responses...

 with preferential actions over α₂-adrenergic receptor

Alpha-2 adrenergic receptor

The alpha-2 adrenergic receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor associated with the Gi heterotrimeric G-protein. It consists of three highly homologous subtypes, including α2A-, α2B-, and α2C-adrenergic. Some species other than humans express a fourth α2D-adrenergic receptor as well...

s, underlying its hypotensive rather than hypertensive effects.