Conessine is a plant steroid alkaloid that acts as a potent and specific antagonist of histamine H3 receptors. Conessine displayed high affinity at both rat and human H3 receptors (pKi = 7.61 and 8.27) and generally high selectivity against other sites, including histamine receptors H1, H2, and H4. Conessine was found to efficiently penetrate the CNS and reach very high brain concentrations. Although the very slow CNS clearance and strong binding to adrenergic receptors discouraged focus on conessine itself for further development, its potency and novel steroid-based skeleton motivated further chemical investigation. Modification based on introducing diversity at the 3-nitrogen position generated a new series of H3 antagonists with higher in vitro potency, improved target selectivity, and more favorable drug-like properties. Conessine also has high affinity for the adrenergic receptors. Conessine has being shown to possess anti-malarial activity. In India conessine finds therapeutic use for treatment of dysentery and helminthic disorders.

Propisergide is a lysergic acid derivative patented by Sandoz Ltd. as an α-adrenoceptor-blocking agent with marked specific 5-HT receptor antagonist activity. In preclinical trials, Propisergide inhibited tryptamine tremor in rats and adrenaline-induced aggregation of blood platelets.

LAROTAXEL is a taxoid with potential antineoplastic activity. It prevents microtubule depolymerization, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation. It displays a broad spectrum of antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo, including activity against P-glycoprotein expressing tumors. LAROTAXEL was in phase III clinical trials for the treatment of breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and bladder cancer. However, its development was discontinued.

Silicristin is a flavonolignan isolated from Silybum marianum and has been shown to exhibit inhibitory activities against lipoxygenase and prostaglandin synthetase. It has a role as a radical scavenger, a lipoxygenase inhibitor, a prostaglandin antagonist and a metabolite. It is a flavonolignan, a member of 1-benzofurans, a polyphenol, an aromatic ether and a secondary alpha-hydroxy ketone. Silicristin is a potent inhibitor of the thyroid hormone transporter MCT8. Silicristin is a sodium pump inhibitor, it inhibited Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA) with IC50 of 110 uM. Silicristin exhibits relatively good antioxidant effectiveness against phenylglyoxylic ketyl radicals and DPPH. Silicristin protects cardiomyocytes against doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress is due mainly to their cell membrane stabilization effect, radical scavenging and iron chelating potency.

Trethocanic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid. It exerts a similar effect on the skin as salicylic acid. Trethocanic acid was used as antihypercholesterolaemic agent.

Securinine is a plant-derived alkaloid from the Securinega plant that has been used clinically as a therapeutic for primarily neurological related diseases. Securinine is well-known GABAA antagonist and recently it was found that Securinine is able to up-regulate p53 protein and to modulate the related family member p73 protein in a p53-dependent fashion, inducing p73 in the HCT116 p53(-) cells and down-regulating it in the p53(+) cells. Securinine induces G1 phase cell cycle arrest, upregulates expression of p53 and Bax, and downregulates expression of Bcl-2, PI3K, mTOR, and p70s6k in breast cancer cells and promyelocytic leukemia cells. Securinine activates p38 MAPK, enhancing monocyte antibacterial activity in vitro as well. This compound also exhibits antimicrobial activity against Alternaria, Curvularia, and Helminthosporum. Additionally, securinine decreases AChE activity and suppresses amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced glial inflammatory responses in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease, improving cognitive deficits. Securinine’s activity as a GABA antagonist, likely explains its reported clinical success in limited studies for the treatment of neurological conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), poliomyelitis and multiple sclerosis. Securinine has not been utilized in the United States, it has been used clinically in several other countries particularly China and Russia. In China, it is considered one of the 50 fundamental Chinese herbs and is used in Chinese herbal medicine.

Praxadine is the anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. Praxadine inhibited the activity of purified inducible NOS (iNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS), and neuronal NOS (nNOS) isoforms to a similar extent.