Galegine is a toxic chemical compound that has been isolated from Galega officinalis.

[1] It has also been found to be the principal cause of the toxicity of poison sedge (Schoenus asperocarpus).

[2] Galegine was used in the 1920s as a pharmaceutical treatment for diabetes;[3] however, because of its toxicity, its use was soon supplanted by superior alternatives.

Research on galegine eventually led to the development of metformin which is used today for treatment of type 2 diabetes.

[3]