Yohimbine

"Yoman" redirects here. For the film called "Yoman" in Hebrew, see Diary (1983 film).
This article is about the chemical compound. For the plant and its medicinal bark preparation, see yohimbe.
Yohimbine
Clinical data
Routes of
administration		By mouth
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • AU: S4 (Prescription only)
  • CA: ℞-only
  • US: Unscheduled
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability7-86% (mean 33%)
Elimination half-life0.25-2.5 hours[1]
ExcretionUrine (as metabolites)
Identifiers
  • 17α-hydroxyyohimban-16α-carboxylic acid methyl ester
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.005.157 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC21H26N2O3
Molar mass354.450 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • [H][C@@]15CC[C@H](O)[C@H](C(=O)OC)[C@@]1([H])C[C@@]4([H])c3[nH]c2ccccc2c3CCN4C5
  • InChI=1S/C21H26N2O3/c1-26-21(25)19-15-10-17-20-14(13-4-2-3-5-16(13)22-20)8-9-23(17)11-12(15)6-7-18(19)24/h2-5,12,15,17-19,22,24H,6-11H2,1H3/t12-,15-,17-,18-,19+/m0/s1 checkY
  • Key:BLGXFZZNTVWLAY-SCYLSFHTSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Yohimbine (/joʊˈhɪmbiːn/),[2] also known as quebrachine, is an indole alkaloid derived from the bark of the African tree Pausinystalia johimbe; also from the bark of the unrelated South American tree Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco. Yohimbine is an α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist, and has been used in a variety of research projects. It is a veterinary drug used to reverse sedation in dogs and deer.

While yohimbine behaves as an aphrodisiac in some mammals, it does not do so in humans. It has been prescribed as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, although its reported clinical benefits were modest and it has largely been superseded by the PDE5 inhibitor class of drugs. Substances that have purported to be extracts from the yohimbe tree have been marketed as dietary supplements for various purposes, but they contain highly variable amounts of yohimbine, if any; no published scientific evidence supports their efficacy.

  1. ^ Hedner T, Edgar B, Edvinsson L, Hedner J, Persson B, Pettersson A (1992). "Yohimbine pharmacokinetics and interaction with the sympathetic nervous system in normal volunteers". European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 43 (6): 651–6. doi:10.1007/BF02284967. PMID 1493849. S2CID 12346330.
  2. ^ "Yohimbine. (n.d.)". Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged. (1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003). Retrieved 27 January 2015.