rauwolfia alkaloid [Leonhard Rauwolf, German botanist, 1535–1596] , any one of more than 20 alkaloids derived from the root of a climbing shrub, Rauwolfia serpentina, indigenous to India and the surrounding area. Formerly used as an antipsychotic agent, it is today confined to the treatment of hypertension and usage in tranquilizing alkaloid drugs such as reserpine. Numerous brand name formulations of the principal alkaloid reserpine are available.
