Medical Uses
There are no uses in modern medicine, although it was widely used in medicine before World War II. Strychnine is a deadly poison with a lethal dose to humans of about 30 to 120 mg. Survival of substantially higher doses has been reported. The properties of Nux Vomica are those of the alkaloid strychnine. Strychnine is eliminated with a half-life of about 12 hours.
The most direct symptom caused by strychnine is violent convulsions due to a simultaneous stimulation of the motor or sensory ganglia of the spinal cord. During the convulsions there is a rise in blood pressure. Brucine closely resembles strychnine in its action, but is slightly less poisonous as it only causes paralysis of the peripheral motor nerves.
Strychnos nux-vomica has shown to suppress allergen-specific Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody response in mice, suggesting its possible application in allergic conditions.
In vitro Strychnos nux-vomica inhibited the growth of AGS human gastric carcinoma cells.
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