The pyrrolidine alkaloids are natural products chemically derived from pyrrolidine.
Alkaloids with partial pyrrolidine structure are usually sub-categorized based on their occurrence and biogenetic origin. Hygrin and cuscohygrin were isolated from the leaves of the coca shrub, while (-)-codonopsinine was isolated from the woodland vine tiger bell.
Among the most important representatives of the pyrrolidine alkaloids are hygrin and cuscohygrin. Another representative is the (-)-codonopsinine. Furthermore, ruspolinone, norruspolinone and norruspoline also belong to this alkaloid group.
Many plants containing cuscohygrin are used in the folk medicine of various peoples as sedatives or narcotics.