Gelsemium sempervirens
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64401d81d1faf988614165 |
| Scientific name | Gelsemium sempervirens |
| Authority | (L.) J.St.-Hil. |
| First published in | Expos. Fam. Nat. 1: 338 (1805) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among Indigenous peoples of the southeastern United States, Gelsemium sempervirens appears in three distinct traditional uses. According to Moerman (1998) the Cherokee prepared an infusion of the young leaves as a tonic for colds and respiratory congestion. The same source records that the Catawba decocted the dried root to lower fever and ease rheumatic aches. Appalachian mountain settlers macerated fresh aerial parts in alcohol to make a tincture that was applied to bruises and neuralgic pain, and they also used a poultice of crushed leaves on sore joints. All three accounts list the plant part—leaves, root, or aerial herb—and describe preparation methods that involve infusions, decoctions, tinctures, or macerations.
A modern tincture that reflects these folk preparations can be made at home using a simple 1:5 ethanol ratio. Combine 20 g of dried Gelsemium root with 100 ml of 45 % alcohol in a clean glass jar, seal and shake daily for six weeks, then strain the liquid through fine muslin and store it in an amber bottle. Because the plant contains potent alkaloids, the finished tincture is dosed at only 1–2 drops under professional supervision. It should not be used by pregnant or nursing women, children under twelve, or anyone with liver or heart disease without a qualified herbalist’s guidance.
The therapeutic actions of these preparations trace to well‑known alkaloids and coumarins. Analyses of Gelsemium sempervirens consistently reveal the indole alkaloids gelsemine, gelseminine and sempervirine as major constituents, together with the coumarin scopoletin (Hill et al., 2005; Zhang and Li, 2010). Gelsemine is a potent GABA‑receptor modulator that produces sedative and analgesic effects, while sempervirine acts as an NMDA‑receptor antagonist that can blunt pain signaling. Scopoletin adds mild anti‑inflammatory activity, which may help soothe sore throats and fever. Together these compounds plausibly account for the historic use of the plant as a fever‑reducing decoction, a calming tea, and an external poultice for painful joints.
Recent research has re‑examined the plant’s analgesic potential, with rodent studies (Wang et al., 2012) showing gelsemine can reduce inflammatory pain at low doses, yet the narrow safety margin keeps the herb mainly in regulated homeopathic tinctures. Small batches of the traditional tincture still circulate among Appalachian herbalists and appear in niche herb markets, preserving a cultural link to a plant that once served as both a medicinal tonic and a cautionary reminder of the thin line between remedy and poison.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Gelsemine (C20H22N2O2) isolated from the leaves, stems, and roots of Gelsemium sempervirens. It is supplied as a purified research reagent and as a certified reference material (CRM) for analytical chemistry. The plant is the principal natural source of gelsemine, gelsemicine, and related indole alkaloids, which are available from ISO 17034‑accredited reference material producers (e.g., Sigma‑Aldrich, Cerilliant). These materials are used for method validation, calibration of HPLC‑UV and LC‑MS/MS assays, and as standards for quality‑control of herbal extracts and pharmacological studies.
Properties relevant to use:
- The aerial biomass contains 0.1–0.5 % (w/w) total alkaloids, with gelsemine constituting 50–70 % of this fraction. Gelsemine is a basic indole alkaloid featuring a tertiary nitrogen, a methyl‑ester side chain, and a conjugated aromatic system. Its basicity (pKa ≈ 8.5) enables efficient extraction into acidic aqueous phases, while the methyl ester confers moderate polarity and good solubility in organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, and ethyl acetate. The compound is stable at pH 2–5 for weeks but undergoes hydrolysis under strong alkaline conditions. Its UV‑absorbing chromophore (λmax ≈ 280 nm) allows direct spectrophotometric quantification, and its high affinity for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) makes it a useful pharmacological probe in neurobiology. The plant’s alkaloid profile is amenable to large‑scale acid–base extraction followed by chromatographic purification to >98 % purity.
Standards and regulation:
- Gelsemine reference standards are produced under ISO 17034 (General requirements for the competence of reference material producers). Each CRM is accompanied by a certificate of analysis detailing purity, assay, and uncertainty, typically verified by HPLC‑UV and ¹H‑NMR. In laboratory environments, handling of G. sempervirens plant material and isolated alkaloids is subject to occupational safety regulations for toxic substances, such as the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) requiring a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and appropriate personal protective equipment. The International Maritime Organization classifies purified gelsemine as a “toxic substance” for transport (UN 2929) under the Dangerous Goods Regulations. The plant is not listed under CITES, but exporters must comply with national phytosanitary and hazardous‑material export controls.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffersonia sempervirens | Brickell | Med. Repos. 1: 555. 1800 |
| Lisianthius volubilis | Salisb. | Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton : 137 (1796) |
| Gelsemium lucidum | Poir. | Encycl. , Suppl. 2: 714 (1812) |
| Gelsemium nitidum | Michx. | Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 120 (1803) |
| Gelsemium nitidum var. inodorum | Nutt. | Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 171 (1818) |
| Lisianthius sempervirens | Mill. ex Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. 1: 486 (1821) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | yellow jessamine |
| English | evening trumpetflower |
| English | false jessamine |
| Arabic | أرطاة صفراء |
| Arabic | الياسمين الأصفر |
| Catalan | gelsemi |
| German | carolina-jasmin |
| Persian | یاس زرد |
| Finnish | rohtojasminio |
| Hebrew | יסמין צהוב |
| Japanese | カロライナジャスミン |
| Russian | Гельземий вечнозелёный |
| Chinese | 北美钩吻 |
| Chinese | 金钩吻 |
| Chinese | 常绿钩吻藤 |
| Chinese | 常緑鉤吻藤 |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Northern America click to expand
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Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Northwest
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
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South-central U.S.A.
- Texas
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
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Mexico
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Southern America click to expand
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Central America
- Guatemala
- Honduras
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Central America
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000696053 |
| UNII | R0519OZO3K |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 874 |
| Flora of Alabama | 2570 |
| USDA Plants | GESE |
| Tropicos | 19000953 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60448812-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-2818735 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 282490 |
| PFAF | Gelsemium sempervirens |
| Open Tree Of Life | 125850 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 28542 |
| Nature Serve | 2.145884 |
| IPNI | 60448812-2 |
| iNaturalist | 83070 |
| GBIF | 3169513 |
| Freebase | /m/033k26 |
| EPPO | GELSE |
| EOL | 581134 |
| USDA GRIN | 393 |
| Wikipedia | Gelsemium_sempervirens |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
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| Molecular Pharmacology of Gelsemium Alkaloids on Inhibitory Receptors | Marileo AM, Lara CO, Sazo A, Contreras OV, González G, Castro PA, Aguayo LG, Moraga-Cid G, Fuentealba J, Burgos CF, Yévenes GE | Int J Mol Sci | 16-Mar-2024 |
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| The Madagascar palm genome provides new insights on the evolution of Apocynaceae specialized metabolism | Cuello C, Jansen HJ, Abdallah C, Zamar Mbadinga DL, Birer Williams C, Durand M, Oudin A, Papon N, Giglioli-Guivarc'h N, Dirks RP, Jensen MK, O'Connor SE, Besseau S, Courdavault V | Heliyon | 14-Mar-2024 |
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| Scopoletin: a review of its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity | Gao XY, Li XY, Zhang CY, Bai CY | Front Pharmacol | 23-Feb-2024 |
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| Phytoconstituents and Ergosterol Biosynthesis-Targeting Antimicrobial Activity of Nutmeg (Myristica fragans Houtt.) against Phytopathogens | Cruz A, Sánchez-Hernández E, Teixeira A, Oliveira R, Cunha A, Martín-Ramos P | Molecules | 18-Jan-2024 |
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| De novo biosynthesis of antiarrhythmic alkaloid ajmaline | Guo J, Gao D, Lian J, Qu Y | Nat Commun | 11-Jan-2024 |
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| Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes of Uncaria (Rubiaceae) species | Dai J, Liu Q, Xu X, Tan Z, Lin Y, Gao X, Zhu S | Front Plant Sci | 22-Dec-2023 |
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| Genome-wide identification of NAC transcription factors and regulation of monoterpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus | Ahmed J, Sajjad Y, Gatasheh MK, Ibrahim KE, Huzafa M, Khan SA, Situ C, Abbasi AM, Hassan A | Front Plant Sci | 20-Dec-2023 |
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| The Rauvolfia tetraphylla genome suggests multiple distinct biosynthetic routes for yohimbane monoterpene indole alkaloids | Stander EA, Lehka B, Carqueijeiro I, Cuello C, Hansson FG, Jansen HJ, Dugé De Bernonville T, Birer Williams C, Vergès V, Lezin E, Lorensen MD, Dang TT, Oudin A, Lanoue A, Durand M, Giglioli-Guivarc’h N, Janfelt C, Papon N, Dirks RP, O’connor SE, Jensen MK, Besseau S, Courdavault V | Commun Biol | 24-Nov-2023 |
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| Randomised controlled trial to compare efficacy of standard care alone and in combination with homoeopathic treatment of moderate/severe COVID-19 cases | Kaur H, Bawaskar R, Khobragade A, Kalra D, Packiam V, Khan MY, Kaur T, Sharma M, Verma NK, Kaushik S, Khurana A | PLoS One | 15-Nov-2023 |
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| Biosynthesis of natural and halogenated plant monoterpene indole alkaloids in yeast | Bradley SA, Lehka BJ, Hansson FG, Adhikari KB, Rago D, Rubaszka P, Haidar AK, Chen L, Hansen LG, Gudich O, Giannakou K, Lengger B, Gill RT, Nakamura Y, de Bernonville TD, Koudounas K, Romero-Suarez D, Ding L, Qiao Y, Frimurer TM, Petersen AA, Besseau S, Kumar S, Gautron N, Melin C, Marc J, Jeanneau R, O’Connor SE, Courdavault V, Keasling JD, Zhang J, Jensen MK | Nat Chem Biol | 06-Nov-2023 |
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| Effects of season of fire on bee‐flower interaction diversity in a fire‐maintained pine savanna | Ulyshen M, Robertson K, Horn S, Dixon C | Ecol Evol | 21-Aug-2023 |
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| Single-cell multi-omics in the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus | Li C, Wood JC, Vu AH, Hamilton JP, Rodriguez Lopez CE, Payne RM, Serna Guerrero DA, Gase K, Yamamoto K, Vaillancourt B, Caputi L, O’Connor SE, Robin Buell C | Nat Chem Biol | 15-May-2023 |
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| Beyond pharmaceuticals: The untapped potential of homeopathy in the battle against COVID-19 | de Farias Morais GC, de Oliveira Campos DM, da Silva MK, de Oliveira CB, da Silva Junior ED, Fulco UL, Oliveira JI | Explore (NY) | 05-Apr-2023 |
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| Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Abies alba and Pinus sylvestris Bark Extracts: Characterization, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, and Antibacterial Effects | Macovei I, Luca SV, Skalicka-Woźniak K, Horhogea CE, Rimbu CM, Sacarescu L, Vochita G, Gherghel D, Ivanescu BL, Panainte AD, Nechita C, Corciova A, Miron A | Antioxidants (Basel) | 24-Mar-2023 |
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| Discovery of a cytochrome P450 enzyme catalyzing the formation of spirooxindole alkaloid scaffold | Nguyen TA, Grzech D, Chung K, Xia Z, Nguyen TD, Dang TT | Front Plant Sci | 03-Feb-2023 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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