# Corydaline (from Corydalis yanhusuo)

**Canonical URL:** https://ingredients.hermeticasuperfoods.com/ingredients/corydaline-from-corydalis-yanhusuo
**Data Source:** Hermetica Superfoods Ingredient Encyclopedia
**Updated:** 2026-04-04
**Evidence Score:** 1 / 10
**Category:** Compound
**Also Known As:** Corydalis yanhusuo alkaloid, l-Corydaline, (+)-Corydaline, CAS 518-69-4, Isocorydaline structural analog

## Overview

Corydaline is a protoberberine alkaloid (molecular weight 369.44 g/mol) that exerts [anti-inflammatory](/ingredients/condition/inflammation) activity by inhibiting LPS-induced inflammatory signaling in macrophages, with putative involvement of NF-κB pathway suppression inferred from related alkaloid research. In vitro studies in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells demonstrate that corydaline suppresses inflammation at 10–60 µM concentrations without cytotoxicity up to 90 µM, though no human clinical trial data currently support efficacy claims for isolated corydaline.

## Health Benefits

- **[Anti-Inflammatory](/ingredients/condition/inflammation) Activity**: Corydaline inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages at 10–60 µM, exhibiting lower potency but substantially greater cellular safety than its structural analog dehydrocorydaline, which becomes cytotoxic above 20 µM.
- **Preclinical Analgesic Potential**: As a component of Corydalis yanhusuo, corydaline contributes to the plant's long-established analgesic profile in traditional Chinese medicine; its protoberberine scaffold is associated with modulation of pain-relevant [neurotransmitter](/ingredients/condition/cognitive) systems in animal models.
- **Favorable In Vitro Safety Window**: Unlike several co-occurring alkaloids in C. yanhusuo, corydaline demonstrates no cytotoxicity in macrophage cultures at concentrations up to 90 µM (~33 µg/mL), suggesting a broader therapeutic index in cellular systems, though this has not been confirmed in vivo.
- **Tissue Bioavailability in Animal Models**: Pharmacokinetic studies using transdermal delivery of total C. yanhusuo alkaloids in rats confirmed detection of corydaline in plasma, heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney via UPLC-MS/MS, indicating systemic absorption and multi-organ distribution.
- **Contribution to Multi-Alkaloid Synergy**: Within whole C. yanhusuo extracts, corydaline functions as one of several bioactive protoberberine alkaloids; its combined presence with dehydrocorydaline (1.80 mg/g), glaucine (1.39 mg/g), and tetrahydropalmatine is thought to contribute to the extract's aggregate pharmacological activity.
- **Research Tool Compound**: High-purity corydaline (≥98%) is commercially available as a research chemical soluble in DMSO at ≥18.13 mg/mL, enabling mechanistic dissection of individual alkaloid contributions to C. yanhusuo's biological effects in preclinical screening paradigms.

## Mechanism of Action

Corydaline belongs to the protoberberine class of isoquinoline alkaloids, sharing a tetracyclic ring system that confers affinity for multiple biological targets including dopamine, [serotonin](/ingredients/condition/mood), and opioid receptors — a receptor profile established for structurally related C. yanhusuo alkaloids such as l-tetrahydropalmatine. In RAW 264.7 macrophage models, corydaline at 10–60 µM suppresses LPS-triggered inflammatory mediator production, with mechanistic inference from extract-level studies pointing toward inhibition of the NF-κB transcription factor pathway, which governs expression of [pro-inflammatory cytokine](/ingredients/condition/inflammation)s including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. The compound's specific binding targets — including potential interactions with D1/D2 dopamine receptors, μ-opioid receptors, or TRPV1 channels — have not been individually characterized in published peer-reviewed literature as of the available evidence base. Its greater cellular safety margin relative to dehydrocorydaline (cytotoxicity threshold >90 µM vs. ~20 µM) may reflect differences in quinolinium ion formation potential between the two structural analogs.

## Clinical Summary

No randomized controlled trials, observational studies, or pharmacokinetic studies in human subjects specifically evaluating isolated corydaline have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature. Clinical analgesic and [anti-inflammatory](/ingredients/condition/inflammation) evidence pertaining to Corydalis yanhusuo as a botanical is extrapolated from traditional use validation studies and extract-level investigations, not from trials isolating corydaline's individual contribution. The compound's quantified concentration in commercial C. yanhusuo products ranges from below the limit of quantification to approximately 11 mg/g total alkaloids (HPLC-UV at 205 nm, LOQ 5–6 ng/injection), highlighting substantial inter-product variability that complicates dose-response extrapolation. Confidence in clinical benefit attributable specifically to corydaline must be rated as very low pending dedicated human pharmacokinetic and efficacy trials.

## Nutritional Profile

Corydaline is a pure alkaloid compound (C21H25NO4, MW 369.44 g/mol) and does not contribute macronutrients, vitamins, or dietary minerals. Its pharmacological relevance is entirely phytochemical: as a protoberberine-class isoquinoline alkaloid, its bioactivity derives from its tetracyclic nitrogen-containing ring structure. Within C. yanhusuo rhizome, corydaline is present at approximately 0.83 mg/g dry extract weight; it co-occurs with dehydrocorydaline (~1.80 mg/g), glaucine (~1.39 mg/g), coptisine (~0.65 mg/g), rotundine (~0.56 mg/g), columbamine (~0.46 mg/g), palmatine (~0.43 mg/g), and berberine (~0.10 mg/g). Bioavailability of corydaline from oral or transdermal administration has been confirmed in rat tissues by UPLC-MS/MS but has not been quantified as an absolute oral bioavailability fraction; DMSO solubility (≥18.13 mg/mL) and aqueous insolubility suggest formulation-dependent absorption limitations in biological systems.

## Dosage & Preparation

- **Research-Grade Powder**: Available as isolated compound (≥98% purity) for laboratory use; soluble in DMSO at ≥18.13 mg/mL with ultrasonic assistance; not water- or ethanol-soluble at practical concentrations.
- **In Vitro Reference Concentrations**: Cell-based studies have used 10–60 µM (~3.7–22.2 µg/mL based on MW 369.44 g/mol); these concentrations are not translatable to clinical dosing without pharmacokinetic bridging data.
- **Whole-Extract Context**: In commercial C. yanhusuo products, corydaline contributes approximately 0.83 mg/g of total alkaloid content; typical traditional dried rhizome doses of C. yanhusuo range from 3–9 g/day in decoction form, implying incidental corydaline intake of approximately 2.5–7.5 mg/day from this source.
- **Transdermal Delivery (Animal Model)**: Rat studies employed acupoint (Shenque) transdermal patches loaded with total alkaloids including corydaline; no human transdermal dose has been validated.
- **Standardized Supplements**: No internationally recognized standardization specification for corydaline content exists; C. yanhusuo supplements are more commonly standardized to total alkaloids or to tetrahydropalmatine content.
- **Storage**: Isolated corydaline solid should be stored at −20°C, protected from moisture and light, to maintain chemical integrity.

## Safety & Drug Interactions

In vitro cytotoxicity data from RAW 264.7 murine macrophages show no cellular toxicity at concentrations up to 90 µM (~33 µg/mL), providing a favorable initial safety signal; however, in vivo toxicity studies and human safety data for isolated corydaline are absent from the published literature, making definitive safety characterization impossible at this time. Drug interaction data specific to corydaline do not exist in the clinical literature; extrapolation from structurally related protoberberine alkaloids (e.g., berberine, tetrahydropalmatine) raises theoretical concerns about interactions with CYP450 enzymes (particularly CYP2D6 and CYP3A4), drugs metabolized via monoamine pathways, and central nervous system depressants given the alkaloid class's receptor pharmacology. No contraindications, pregnancy safety data, or lactation guidance exist for isolated corydaline; use during pregnancy and lactation should be avoided in the absence of safety evidence, consistent with the precautionary principle applied to poorly characterized alkaloids. The significant variability in corydaline content across commercial C. yanhusuo products (from undetectable to ~11 mg/g total alkaloids) presents an additional safety concern related to unintentional dose escalation when using standardized extracts.

## Scientific Research

The current evidence base for isolated corydaline consists exclusively of in vitro cell culture studies and animal pharmacokinetic experiments; no human clinical trials evaluating isolated corydaline as a standalone intervention have been published. [Anti-inflammatory](/ingredients/condition/inflammation) activity has been characterized in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages at concentrations of 10–60 µM, with corydaline demonstrating statistically significant but comparatively modest inhibition relative to co-alkaloid dehydrocorydaline. Pharmacokinetic biodistribution data derive from rat studies using transdermal patch delivery of total C. yanhusuo alkaloids quantified by UPLC-MS/MS on an ACQUITY HSS T3 column, confirming systemic absorption but providing no human bioavailability estimates. The broader clinical literature for C. yanhusuo extract supports analgesic applications, but attribution of specific effects to corydaline versus co-occurring alkaloids such as l-tetrahydropalmatine or dehydrocorydaline remains methodologically unresolved.

## Historical & Cultural Context

Corydalis yanhusuo (Yan Hu Suo, 延胡索) has been employed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over 1,500 years, with documentation in the Tang Materia Medica (Bencao Shiyi, 8th century CE) and the Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu, 1596 CE) by Li Shizhen, who described the rhizome as effective for invigorating blood circulation and relieving pain. The rhizome was traditionally prepared by steaming, vinegar-processing (cu zhi), or decocting, with vinegar processing (soaking in rice vinegar before drying) believed to enhance alkaloid extraction and analgesic potency — a practice now understood to increase solubility of alkaloids as acetate salts. Corydaline as a discrete chemical entity was first isolated and characterized in the 20th century alongside the structural elucidation of other C. yanhusuo protoberberine alkaloids, transitioning the traditional botanical from a holistic decoction to a source of pharmacologically defined compounds for mechanistic research. The broader Corydalis genus, encompassing over 400 species distributed across temperate Asia and Europe, holds significant ethnopharmacological relevance in Tibetan, Korean, and Japanese herbal medicine traditions as well.

## Synergistic Combinations

Within C. yanhusuo extracts, corydaline is presumed to act synergistically with l-tetrahydropalmatine (rotundine) and dehydrocorydaline, with the former contributing D1/D2 [dopamine](/ingredients/condition/mood) receptor antagonism and putative opioid receptor modulation, and the latter contributing more potent NF-κB-mediated [anti-inflammatory](/ingredients/condition/inflammation) effects — together producing a broader analgesic and anti-inflammatory profile than any single alkaloid in isolation. The traditional TCM vinegar-processing (cu zhi) of C. yanhusuo rhizome may enhance corydaline's bioavailability by converting the free base to its acetate salt form, improving aqueous solubility and potentially facilitating co-absorption of multiple alkaloids simultaneously. Corydaline has not been evaluated in combination with exogenous analgesic agents (e.g., NSAIDs, opioids, or cannabinoids) in published preclinical or clinical studies, and such pairings cannot be recommended based on available evidence.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is corydaline and where does it come from?

Corydaline is a protoberberine isoquinoline alkaloid (molecular formula C21H25NO4, MW 369.44 g/mol) isolated from the rhizomes of Corydalis yanhusuo (Yan Hu Suo), a plant used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 1,500 years. It is present in C. yanhusuo extracts at approximately 0.83 mg per gram of dry extract and co-occurs with related alkaloids including dehydrocorydaline, tetrahydropalmatine, and berberine. It is not a dietary nutrient but rather a pharmacologically active phytochemical extracted from the plant's underground rhizome.

### Does corydaline have proven pain-relieving effects in humans?

No human clinical trials evaluating isolated corydaline for pain relief have been published as of the current evidence base. Analgesic evidence exists at the level of Corydalis yanhusuo whole extracts in traditional use and some animal model research, but the specific contribution of corydaline versus co-alkaloids like l-tetrahydropalmatine cannot be separated from these data. Until dedicated human pharmacokinetic and analgesic efficacy trials are conducted, corydaline's pain-relieving effects in people remain unestablished.

### What is the mechanism of action of corydaline?

Corydaline's mechanism involves inhibition of LPS-induced inflammatory signaling in macrophages, with evidence from RAW 264.7 cell studies at 10–60 µM concentrations pointing toward NF-κB pathway suppression as a likely route — though this pathway has not been directly confirmed for corydaline in isolation. Its protoberberine scaffold is shared with alkaloids known to interact with dopamine D1/D2 receptors and opioid receptors, suggesting potential neuromodulatory activity, but receptor binding studies specific to corydaline are not currently available in the peer-reviewed literature.

### Is corydaline safe to take as a supplement?

Corydaline shows no cytotoxicity in macrophage cell cultures at concentrations up to 90 µM (~33 µg/mL), which is a favorable preclinical safety signal; however, in vivo toxicology studies and human safety data for isolated corydaline do not exist. No established safe human dose, drug interaction profile, or contraindication list can be provided based on current evidence. Individuals should consult a healthcare provider before using any Corydalis yanhusuo supplement, particularly those taking CNS-active medications or drugs metabolized by CYP2D6 or CYP3A4.

### How does corydaline differ from tetrahydropalmatine (THP)?

Both corydaline and l-tetrahydropalmatine (rotundine) are protoberberine alkaloids from Corydalis yanhusuo with overlapping structural features, but tetrahydropalmatine has a significantly more extensive pharmacological characterization, including documented dopamine D1/D2 and GABA receptor interactions in animal and limited human studies. Corydaline is present at ~0.83 mg/g in C. yanhusuo extract compared to tetrahydropalmatine's ~0.56 mg/g (rotundine), yet THP has received far greater research attention and is available as a semi-standardized supplement ingredient. Corydaline's individual receptor binding profile and clinical dose-response have not been characterized to the same degree.

### Does corydaline have anti-inflammatory properties?

Yes, corydaline demonstrates anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting LPS-induced inflammatory responses in macrophage cell cultures at concentrations of 10–60 µM. This effect suggests potential benefits for inflammatory conditions, though human clinical trials are needed to confirm efficacy. Notably, corydaline exhibits substantially greater cellular safety compared to its structural analog dehydrocorydaline, which becomes toxic at higher concentrations.

### Who should avoid corydaline supplements?

Pregnant and nursing women should avoid corydaline, as safety data in these populations is limited and the alkaloid crosses biological barriers. Individuals with liver dysfunction or those taking medications metabolized by hepatic pathways should consult a healthcare provider before use. People with a history of alkaloid sensitivity or allergic reactions to Corydalis species should also exercise caution.

### How much clinical research supports corydaline's use as a supplement?

Most evidence for corydaline comes from preclinical laboratory and animal studies rather than human clinical trials, which limits definitive conclusions about supplement efficacy. While traditional use of Corydalis yanhusuo spans centuries in Chinese medicine, modern research on isolated corydaline in humans remains limited. Additional well-designed clinical studies are needed to establish optimal dosing, efficacy, and safety profiles for supplemental use.

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