aconitum

Aconitum refers to a pharmaceutical preparation derived from the processed roots of plants in the *Aconitum* genus, most notably *Aconitum carmichaelii* (known as Fuzi in Traditional Chinese Medicine). The drug is primarily available as an injection and is approved in China for the treatment of acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and severe pain. The therapeutic effects are attributed to diterpene alkaloids, such as aconitine, mesaconitine, and hypaconitine, which act on voltage-gated sodium channels. Due to the high toxicity of these alkaloids, the manufacturing process involves extensive detoxification (pao zhi) to reduce the concentration of diester alkaloids while preserving cardiotonic and analgesic properties. Anhui Huayuan Pharmaceutical Group is a major distributor of this product in the Chinese market.

Brand names

Aconitum injection

Other names

Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata injectionFuzi injectionAconitum