Deserpidine is an ester alkaloid drug isolated from Rauwolfia canescens (family Apocynaceae) with antipsychotic and antihypertensive properties that has been used for the control of high blood pressure and for the relief of psychotic behavior. Rauwolfia alkaloids work by controlling nerve impulses along certain nerve pathways. As a result, they act on the heart and blood vessels to lower blood pressure. Deserpidine's mechanism of action is through inhibition of the ATP/Mg2+ pump responsible for the sequestering of neurotransmitters into storage vesicles located in the presynaptic neuron. The neurotransmitters that are not sequestered in the storage vesicle are readily metabolized by monoamine oxidase (MAO) causing a reduction in catecholamines.