The seeds are discarded most of the time because they do not contain a high enough alkaloid content.
However, cultivars with a low alkaloid content have been bred.
The alkaloid content is similar between the species in the genus.
The alkaloid content of dried foliage is about 44 mg/kg.
Plants can be assayed for their alkaloid content, for example.
It may have not been more widely used because of its bitter taste, due to the alkaloid content.
The alkaloid content is said to be highest in the morning.
Modern analysis has not yet shown any link between the number of ribs and alkaloid content.
Reliable information on the total alkaloid content of the crude drug is difficult to obtain.
The total alkaloid content in dried leaves has been reported to be in the range 0.28-0.66%.