Coptisine

<p><b>Coptisine</b> is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaloid" title="Alkaloid">alkaloid</a> found in Chinese goldthread (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptis_chinensis" title="Coptis chinensis">Coptis chinensis</a></i>).<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptisine#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup>&nbsp;</p>

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Famous for the bitter taste that it produces, it is used in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_herbal_medicine" title="Chinese herbal medicine" class="mw-redirect">Chinese herbal medicine</a> along with the related compound <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berberine" title="Berberine">berberine</a> for treating digestive disorders caused by bacterial infections.<sup class="Template-Fact" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</sup></p>

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Also found in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelidonium" title="Chelidonium">Greater Celandine</a> and has also been detected in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium" title="Opium">Opium</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptisine#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup>

Coptisine has been found to reversibly inhibit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_oxidase_A" title="Monoamine oxidase A">Monoamine oxidase A</a> in mice, pointing to a potential role as a natural antidepressant.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptisine#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup> However, this may also imply a hazard for those taking other medications or with a natural functional disorder in Monoamine oxidase A.<sup class="Template-Fact" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</sup></p>