A steroidal alkaloid isolated from the desert plant Veratrum californicum with both teratogenic and
antitumor activities. It inhibits hedgehog/smoothened signaling.
CYCLOPAMINE SOLUBILITY: Ethanol is the best cyclopamine solvent for biological use. A 2% solution (20 mg/mL) can be prepared by warming the cyclopamine in ethanol to 50-60 ºC; boiling is neither necessary nor recommended. Upon cooling, the cyclopamine remains in solution at room temperature, even if left for several days. However, storage at -20 ºC is recommended, and at this temperature the cyclopamine will crystallize out of solution. Upon thawing, the mixture will need to be heated again to redissolve the cyclopamine.
Methanol and DMSO can also be used as cyclopamine solvents, but solubility in methanol is only about 0.7% (7 mg/mL) at best, and solubility in DMSO is about 0.4% (4 mg/mL). Substantial heating is again needed to achieve solution with methanol or DMSO, but once the cyclopamine is dissolved it will remain in solution if kept at room temperature. Storage in either solvent at the recommended -20 ºC will also cause crystallization, as noted above for ethanol, and reheating is necessary after thawing in order to achieve full dissolution.
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