Colchicine
Also called Colchineos, Colchisol, Colcrys and Mitigare.
A plant alkaloid from the autumn crocus, used for gout and pericarditis. It has been in the medicine chest since ancient Egypt.
Sources and notes
- The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Other namesfrom sourcePubChem / Wikidata
- Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
- 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
- 3D modelfrom sourcePubChem 3D conformerLoaded after the page has painted, and on a phone only when you ask for it; the 2D drawing shows until it arrives.
Where you encounter it
Dispensed on prescription, not sold on a shelf.
Sources and notes
- The line abovefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedFrom the group the molecule belongs to.
Explore its structure
Choose a part to light it up.
A C=O bonded to a nitrogen, the same link that joins amino acids in a protein. It is sturdy, and its nitrogen is not a base the way an amine's is.
From: standard chemistry.
An oxygen bridging two carbons, written C-O-C. It accepts hydrogen bonds but has no hydrogen to give, and it is slow to react.
From: standard chemistry.
Rings joined where they share atoms, or a single ring standing alone. Atoms in a ring are held in place, so this part keeps its shape while chains around it can bend.
From: standard chemistry.
Sources and notes
- The drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKitThe page's one shipped drawing, with the chosen part lit in amber under it.
- The partscomputedFound by ruleEach part is found by a chemical pattern, never picked by hand atom by atom; its words say where they come from.
Properties and sources
Calculated by PubChem
- Molecular formula
- C22H25NO6
- Molecular weight
- 399.4 g/mol
- XLogP3octanol/water, log units
- 1
- Polar surface areatopological
- 83.1 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 1
- H-bond acceptors
- 6
- Rotatable bonds
- 5
- Complexity
- 740
Measured LD50, HSDB via PubChem
5.886 mg/kg pure colchicine, mouse, oral
An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person.
Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem
Danger Corrosive pictogram (GHS05), Toxic pictogram (GHS06) and Health hazard pictogram (GHS08); hazard statements H300, H310, H318, H330, H340
Reported Licence
The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Colchicine for human use (NDA 022351, authorized July 30, 2009), as Colcrys. Drugs@FDA
Groups it belongs to
- Category
- Prescription medicine
- Family
- Plant alkaloids
- Elements
- Nitrogen
- Hazard classes
- Corrosive, Acutely toxic, Health hazard, GHS Danger
CC(=O)N[C@H]1CCC2=CC(=C(C(=C2C3=CC=C(C(=O)C=C13)OC)OC)OC)OCPubChem CID 6167 · Wikidata Q326224 · InChIKey IAKHMKGGTNLKSZ-INIZCTEOSA-N · Data refreshed
Questions
- What is Colchicine?
- A plant alkaloid from the autumn crocus, used for gout and pericarditis. It has been in the medicine chest since ancient Egypt.
- How toxic is Colchicine?
- The reported LD50 of Colchicine is 5.886 mg/kg (mouse, oral). An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person. Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Danger and the hazard pictograms Corrosive, Toxic and Health hazard. from sourcefrom source
- What kind of molecule is Colchicine?
- Colchicine has the formula C22H25NO6 and a molecular weight of 399.4 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under plant alkaloids, in the prescription medicine group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
- Who licenses Colchicine as a medicine?
- The US Food and Drug Administration licenses Colchicine for human use (NDA 022351, authorized July 30, 2009), as Colcrys. from source
Sources and notes
- Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChemOther values the sources report: cat, intravenous, 0.25 mg/kg; mouse, another route, 2 mg/kg; mouse, intravenous, 4.13 mg/kg. The page shows the one LD50 the site uses everywhere.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChemThe label combines these classifications.
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Licencefrom sourceDrugs@FDARead 2026-10-21.
- Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09