Negligible Nux Vomica: Homeopathic Nux Vomica remedies don't contain strychnine?

Abstract Introduction The St. Ignatius bean of the Strychnos ignatii tree and Nux Vomica homeopathic products presumably could contain the toxic alkaloids strychnine and brucine. This study aimed to determine the amount of these toxic alkaloids in some commercially available Nux Vomica products and the St. Ignatius bean and to determine if overdose of these products could result in clinically significant toxicity. Methods Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, various formulations of Nux Vomica products and St. Ignatius beans were analyzed for strychnine, and brucine with detection limits set at 0.1 ng/g. Results None of the analyzed Nux Vomica products contained any detectable strychnine or brucine, while the expected strychnine dose from a St. Ignatius bean would be  Conclusions Overall, our study reveals that the amount of strychnine in homeopathic Nux Vomica products or St. Ignatius beans are not likely to result in clinically significant strychnine toxicity.