| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Hedgehog signaling pathway is essential for embryogenesis and for tissue homeostasis in the adult. However, it may induce malignancies in a number of tissues when constitutively activated, and it may also have a role in other forms of normal and maladaptive growth. Cyclopamine, a naturally occurring steroidal alkaloid, specifically inhibits the Hedgehog pathway by binding directly to Smoothened, an important Hedgehog response element. To use cyclopamine as a tool to explore and/or inhibit the Hedgehog pathway <it>in vivo</it>, a substantial quantity is required, and as a practical matter cyclopamine has been effectively unavailable for usage in animals larger than mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this paper, we report a rapid and efficient isolation and purification of large quantities of cyclopamine from the roots and rhizomes of <it>Veratrum californicum </it>Dur. (the Corn Lily or Western false hellebore). We also provide unambiguous assignments of the carbon and proton resonances by using the multinuclear spectra and the spin coupling networks.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This method could meet a very real need within diverse scientific communities by allowing cyclopamine to become more readily available.</p>
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