Delphinine

Delphinine, an alkaloid, obtained from the seeds of the plant Delphinium staphisagria (Brandes; 1819). Kara-Stoyanov (1890) proposed for it the formula C₃₁H₄₉O₇N, which was changed to C₃₄H₄₇O₆N by Walz (1922), who established that delphinine is a tertiary base containing in its composition a benzoyl group, four methoxyl groups, and one free hydroxyl group. In the commercial preparation of the plant, there is a mixture mainly of three alkaloids: delphinine, its isomer delphisine, and delphinoidine. D. crystallizes in rhombs, melts at 191.8°, begins to decompose at 120°, and is insoluble in water. Highly poisonous, in its action it resembles aconitine (see Aconite), especially in its effect on respiration and circulation in paralysis of the nervous system of respiration; the lethal dose for a dog is 0.0015 per 1 kg of weight. Delphisine melts at 189°, is almost twice as poisonous as D. Delphinoidin is even more poisonous (lethal dose 0.0005 per 1 kg). In therapy, D. is not used.