Monocrotaline (MCT) is a toxic 11-membered macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) derived from the seeds of the Crotalaria spectabilis plant. It poisons livestock and humans through the ingestion of contaminated grains and other foods. Pyrrolizidine alkaloid is activated by cytochrome P450 to the reactive pyrrole metabolite dehydromonocrotaline (MCTP) in the liver. The alkaloid causes pulmonary artery hypertension, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pathological changes in the pulmonary vasculature.
Monocrotaline is produced for research use. It is used in rat model to investigate human pulmonary hypertension as it offers technical simplicity, reproducibility, and low cost compared with other models of pulmonary hypertension.
