Veratridine is a steroid

Steroid

A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...

-derived 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...

 from the family of Liliaceae

Liliaceae

The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...

 that functions as a neurotoxin

Neurotoxin

A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...

 by activating sodium ion channel

Sodium ion channel

Sodium channels are integral membrane proteins that form ion channels, conducting sodium ions through a cell's plasma membrane. They are classified according to the trigger that opens the channel for such ions, i.e...

s. It is a derivative of veracevine

Veracevine

Veracevine is an alkaloid that occurs in the seeds of Schoenocaulon officinale. It is used as an insecticide in veterinary medicine....

. It is primarily obtained from the herb Veratrum

Veratrum

Veratrum is a genus of coarse, highly poisonous perennial herbs of the Melanthiaceae family. In English they are known as the False hellebores or corn lilies. Members of Veratrum are known both in western herbalism and traditional Chinese medicine as toxic herbs to be used with great caution...

and sabadilla

Schoenocaulon

Schoenocaulon is a North American genus of 26 species of perennial herbaceous flowering plants, ranging from the southern United States to Peru. It is a member of the Melanthiaceae, according to the AGP II...

 seeds. It binds to intramembrane receptor site 2 and increases intracellular Ca²⁺

Calcium

Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...

 concentration. It acts by preferentially binding to activated Na⁺ channels causing persistent activation that leads to increase nerve excitability.

It is used in ointments for the treatment of neuralgia

Neuralgia

Neuralgia is pain in one or more nerves that occurs without stimulation of pain receptor cells. Neuralgia pain is produced by a change in neurological structure or function rather than by the excitation of pain receptors that causes nociceptive pain. Neuralgia falls into two categories: central...

 and rheumatoid pain.